The Chosen King
by SarahScientia
Summary: An epic journey into the world of Final Fantasy XV, as told by me. I own none of the characters, and the story will be bound by the major plot points set out in the game. It is my own personal interpretation/filling in the gaps left by Square Enix, and thus some elements that are not certain at the point of writing, may not be correct with the release of further DLC.
1. Prologue

**-***- DISCLAIMER -***-**

This story is my own retelling of the Final Fantasy XV plot. Considering the fact that many fans (including myself) have felt displeased/dissatisfied with the level of detail that was offered within the game itself, I decided to reshape it as I feel like it could be told. Hence, I have/will include major plotpoints from the game that have a significant implication on the story. However, less significant elements, such as non-vital fights have been left out, and thus some parts may be subject to minor changes.

In itself, I own none of the characters or places, these belong 100% to Square Enix. The only thing I can put ownership to, is the way the story is told, some of the character development which is based in how I wanted them to grow, and some of the relationships which have been left quite unclear during the game and other Final Fantasy XV content. With that I mean, that some parts included may be fan theories that others have come up with, and in such case the source will be credited. Otherwise, most information is acquired from _Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV_ , _Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV_ , The game itself, the trailers/video clips from _Final Fantasy Versus XIII_ which are available on YouTube and the DLC content ( _Episodes Gladiolus, Prompto_ and _Ignis)_.

For example, the relationship I wish to portray between Noctis and King Regis is directed by two short clips from _Versus XIII_ , and how I choose to believe that the two interacted with each other before/after Tenebrae. In similar ways, I have decided to shape the interactions and decisions between the other characters, so that there is more depth to the story, besides that of the "Chocobros".

THIS STORY is how I believe it to be intended to have been told, and with the release of future content/DLC, the story may become invalid/subject to change. Hence, some parts of the story may only be true to the time of writing, but I will, as far as I can, edit the story as more details come forward with future content.

I hope you will enjoy this story however, and feel free to leave a review or otherwise contact me if there are parts you agree/disagree on! :)

 **-***- END OF DISCLAIMER -***-**

Light shone from the tall windows behind the throne, lighting up the vast room. Despite the incredible amounts of light, the room nevertheless maintained a sombre and noble hue. The impressive golden woodwork done on the decorations of the Throne shone brightly in the light. Along the sides of the room were the seats of the Royal advisors, currently empty for the occasion. The railing separating their seats from the rest of the room was of dark metal, with golden seals placed about half a metre apart along it. Above the throne, a chandelier was suspended. It was made of gold, decorated with beautiful white gemstones, which shimmered and cast a scattered light across the walls. Rarely had he ever been in this room, but his father, the King, had requested Noctis' presence.

King Regis stood tall wearing his usual kingly raiment, his dark hair combed back and his beard emphasising his facial features. His eyes framed by dark circles, and cheekbones even more accentuated than they previously had been. It was the sight of a King who was hard-working, worrying. His voice deep voice was echoing in the vast hall as he spoke.  
His words however, were not solely aimed towards Noctis, and curious, Noctis tried to look past his father to see who else he was speaking to. However, this proved a difficult task, considering his father doing an excellent job at blocking his view.

" Listen well: A King cannot lead by standing still. A King pushes onward always, accepting the consequences and never looking back. That said, a King can accept nothing without first accepting himself," Shifting, and pushing Noctis forward, his father spoke, and for the first time, Noctis could properly see who else his father was speaking to. It was a boy. Seemingly around Noctis' age, although a bit older. Wearing a nice shirt and tie, and his back straightened, the boy looked a lot more composed than Noctis himself, who wore a sweatshirt. The boy's eyes, green, behind by a pair of glasses, he looked back at Noctis with a hint of equal shyness. King Regis continued:  
"Should he stand still, I ask you stand by him and lend him a hand – as his friend, and as his brother."

His father pushed Noctis even further towards the boy with a firm but loving hand. Noctis was taken by slight surprise, and he somewhat lost his balance, making his approach towards the boy slightly more unstable. Noctis, grabbing his own left arm, looked the strange boy in the eyes, and noticed a sense of warmth and friendliness, which made Noctis feel safe. Being used to surrounding himself with people who treated him like royalty, this boy looked at Noctis in a unique way, which woke a sense of curiosity in Noctis.

"Please, take care of my son," King Regis spoke, as the boy extended a hand towards Noctis in formal greeting. Noctis looked at it for a moment before taking it in both hands. The boy's hand was warm, the grip was welcoming and firm, bringing a smile to Noctis' face. The boy smiled back to Noctis in a friendly manner, yet still more composed than Noctis had expected. Letting go of his hands, Noctis' father continued:  
"This, Noctis, is Ignis Scientia. He will act as your friend and advisor. He will stand by you in dire times, lending you a hand should you need it,"  
Ignis nodded, seemingly still too nervous to say much himself, something which Noctis' father seemed to have noticed. Attempting to ease them up, Regis continued:  
"I trust that the two of you will make good friends. While you both have each your own responsibilities to take care of, I have faith that you will spend much time together," Ignis shuffled his feet and with a deep breath he said, with a level of maturity that did not quite fit his age:  
"It is my pleasure to meet you, Prince Noctis."


	2. Chapter One

It was early in the morning; the sun was barely reaching up past the horizon and the land of Lucis was showered in mist. King Regis was standing by the window in Noctis' room, ready to wake up his son who was still fast asleep, the sound of his slow breathing filling the room. Regis, looking out over the Citadel Gardens, pondering how proud his wife, Queen Aulea, would have been to witness the day that was ready to commence. Clutching Noctis' new schoolbag in his hand, Regis was thinking about how fast his son had grown, considering if it was the right choice to let Noctis attend public schooling, rather than private. However, insisting on the benefits of knowing what life is among normal citizens, as well as keeping his promise to his wife, Regis had decided to raise Noctis in a manner as close to normal as he possibly could.

Regis sat down, looking at the clock. It was 6:57, and in an hour's time, he and Noctis would enter the gates of Noctis' new school. Looking down at his hand, Regis looked at the Ring of the Lucii. One day, his son would have to carry this ring around his finger, along with the burden of being the King of Lucis. It was a great responsibility, and Regis feared it would wear out his son as much as it had torn away at himself. The power of the ring was great. It brought along incredible wisdom, the power to conjure weapons and tame magic, but all came at a great cost. The Ring sapped its bearer from their Life Force, but to Regis it was even more of a sacrifice. It was Regis' Life that was powering the Walls around Insomnia, just as his own father, King Mors, had. Those were the exact walls that kept the Crown City of Insomnia safe from the looming danger of the Empire of Niflheim, whom Lucis had been at war with for the better part of a century.

Standing up once again, Regis went over to Noctis' bed and sat down beside him. Carefully, he put a hand on Noctis' arm. His body was warm, and his hair was in a mess around his head. Just like everyone else in the Lucis Caelum family, Noctis had pitch black hair and the bluest of eyes.

"Noctis, it is time to get up. There is about an hour until your very first lesson!" Regis said quietly, trying not to startle his son too much. Noctis, slowly waking up, looked at his father groggily, and yawned. He sat up in his bed. Regis smiled and stood up.

"I will be awaiting downstairs, so we can have breakfast together. Then, I will accompany you on your drive to school." He smiled once again, and left the room. Noctis got out of bed and went over to the window and saw that the pillows in the seat by the window had been shuffled. He looked out of the window, just as his father had done, and looked at the Crownsguards patrolling in the Garden.

After having dressed, Noctis joined his father at the breakfast table in the dining room. It was a tall room, although not the biggest. It overlooked the Citadel's vast courtyard. From the Citadel's entrance was a large set of stairs, which had a red carpet laid out on it in the middle. All around, you could see the walls of the Citadel, separating it from the rest of Insomnia. Today, it was beautiful weather. The sky was blue with very few clouds, seemingly it would be warmer later. Looking back at the table, Noctis sat down in his chair in front of his father. Nervous, Noctis spoke a lot less than he usually did. His father noticed this.

"Not going to touch the food?" Regis asked, looking at Noctis with a hint of concern, once again returning to the thought of whether or not it was the right decision he had made about Noctis' schooling.

"It's awful." Noctis muttered.

"Ah, but you must not say so, lest the cook be sent away!" Regis put a spoonful of the food in his mouth and made a funny face, which Noctis copied. The two of them laughed together, and Regis returned to his concern, as Noctis started glaring out the window.

"Are you sure nothing is wrong today?" his father asked with the concern sounding clear in his voice. Sighing, Noctis looked at his dad with sudden sadness.

"What if nobody likes me at school? What if…" He hesitated, but his father cut him off before he could say much more.

"Of course, they will! You do not need to worry about that. Everyone is nervous about their first day of school, even I was. I am sure you will find some friends to be with!" Regis smiled at his son, reaching for Noctis' hand in a show of love, trying to hide his own concern. Reaching for his chin next, Regis lifted Noctis' face so he could look him in the eyes while he said:

"Just be yourself, and I am confident people will like you." Noctis smiled a half smile to his father, and the two continued to eat the food which neither of them liked.

"You know, I might need to have a word with the chef…" His father said in a faint voice. Noctis smiled again and the two ate the rest of their food in silence.

After having finished breakfast, Noctis and his father left the Citadel. Noctis, wearing his backpack, walked down the stairs a little further behind his father, who reached the Regalia first. The tinted windows reflected like a mirror, and Noctis could see himself approach. His father opened the car door for him, and Noctis climbed in. Next to him, sat Ignis. The sight of Ignis made Noctis' face light up, excited by the thought of his friend joining him on his first day of school.

"Good morning Noctis!" Ignis said and smiled at him. Noctis could hardly contain his happiness, and exploded.

"Will you be starting today as well?" Noctis asked, once again forgetting their age gap. Ignis shook his head and replied.

"Sadly, no. As you may recall, I am schooled here, at the Citadel. However, King Regis believed it would help cheer you up if I, too, accompanied you on your trip to school today," Disappointed, Noctis looked out the car window. Ignis' company did indeed make him feel better, however knowing that he would not be there during the school day made him sad, and once again the sense of impending loneliness struck him like a lightning bolt.

During the car ride, his father sat in the front seat of the car alongside the Crownsguard driver, while Ignis was reading a book. In the streets people could be seen going to work. Men and women in formal attire. The streets were lit up in a variety of colours by the incredible amounts of colourful billboards and signs, which promoted anything from Cup Noodles to clothing sales. Curious about what to expect from school, Noctis turned to Ignis.

"Ignis?" He asked, carefully. Ignis closed his book and looked at Noctis patiently.

"What is it?"

"What is it like to go to school?" Noctis asked, looking at his own hands. Ignis thought for a second as to how to respond to this question most appropriately.

"Well, my school will likely be different from yours. But I imagine the main difference is that there are more people where you will be. Thus, I am sure you will find some other students that you would like to be around." Ignis explained, thinking back to his own education. As a gifted student, he was enrolled in a special education which allowed him to become Noctis' advisor.

"How is it different?" Noctis wondered, but as he asked this, his father cut into the conversation, looking back at Noctis from the front seat.

"Ignis is studying so that he can be your advisor. Hence, while he learns the same things as you do, he also has other things to learn, which you do not." Regis explained without further detail. However, this information was enough to satisfy Noctis' curiosity and he let it go. Ignis, nodding to the King as a thank you, proceeded to read his book.

Standing in front of the gate at the school, Noctis' stomach was filled with butterflies. Holding his father's hand, he walked toward the gate, but his father had stopped. Puzzled, Noctis turned around. His father kneeled in front of Noctis, looking him in the eyes.

"Noctis, I cannot go in there with you. You can do this my son." Noctis, a tear in his eye, looked down in sadness and felt the helplessness shower over him. His father put a hand on his shoulder and put his face down in front of Noctis'.

"Noctis, you can do this. You can do more than you like to give yourself credit for." He said, and pulled Noctis close and hugged him. Noctis, at first reluctant to hug his father back, inhaled the smell of his father one last time and wiped his eyes.

"Walk tall my son." Regis said and stood up once again. Looking behind his father, Noctis saw Ignis sitting in the car looking out at the two. Noctis waved at Ignis, and in response Ignis gave him a smile and a thumbs-up for encouragement. For Ignis, and for his father, Noctis turned around, straightened his back and walked towards the entrance of the school, without looking back.

Once inside the classroom, Noctis sat down at a table which had a sign reading "Noctis" and looked around. Everywhere he looked he saw curious eyes, which made him feel insecure. His throat went dry and he started to be anxious, and most of all he wanted to walk out of the room again. Into the classroom came a woman with her hair tied up and glasses on the bridge of her nose. She presented herself, and wrote her name on the blackboard. Noctis rested his head in his hand and looked out the window, day-dreaming about someplace far away from this classroom.

"Noctis? Are you with us today?" The teacher asked suddenly, and Noctis fell out of his daydream and returned to class. A red-haired girl was up by the teacher introducing herself, but the teacher had interrupted her.

"Yes Miss. Sorry, Miss," Noctis apologised and shifted in his chair. Bewildered by being addressed not as Prince Noctis, but solely by his first name, he sat back in his chair and tried to remember the things his classmates had told about themselves. Finally, it was Noctis' own turn, and he slowly walked up besides the teacher.

"Now dear, just tell us your name, how old you are, and what you hope to be one day," the teacher told him as he took his place next to her. A few of the other students had already started whispering to each other, which gave Noctis a big lump in his throat. Stammering, he said:

"My name is Noctis… Ehm, Noctis Lucis Caelum. I'm 5, almost 6 years old, and one day I will become King of Lucis," he said as he looked down on his feet. He had never really considered what he wanted to be, if he was not to be the King of Lucis. Many of the other children wanted to be doctors or teachers, but he was certain to become King. When he had mentioned the last, more kids started talking in the corners, and it took a few minutes for the teacher to regain silence in the classroom, but once achieved, Noctis could sit down again. Now, even more students were staring at him from around the classroom, and more than ever, Noctis felt like going home.

At the end of the day Noctis was picked up by the gate where he was first dropped off in the morning. Waiting, Noctis looked at the children playing on the grounds. Despite the many curious looks, none of his classmates had approached him and asked if he wanted to play with them, so Noctis ended up sitting on a bench in the playground and look at the others. Disappointed, Noctis entered the car and sat beside his father, who was beyond excited to hear about his first day.

"So how did it go today? Regis asked.

"Fine," Noctis responded and looked out the window. Noting the lack of excitement in his voice, Regis bit his lip and thought as to whether to push for more information. Deciding not to, Regis leaned back in his car seat and looked straight ahead. The entire ride back to the Citadel was quiet, as neither Noctis nor Regis dared say anything. Eventually Noctis had laid down with his head on his father's thigh, and fell asleep.

While looking out the window, passing by one of the twelve statues of the Old Kings, Regis suddenly felt as though he was falling into an infinite pit. Screaming, he conjured his Sword and tried to warp out, but he had no luck.

"It is just a dream. Wake up!" He yelled at himself, irritated. However, he felt as though this falling was not just as that in a dream. After all, at this point he would usually have woken up. Finally, after what felt like years, he landed in some water below. Completely soaked, King Regis came to his feet and looked around. The space was dark and empty, derived from any sort of light or life. He took a few steps forward; the water was levelling with his knees. In the darkness, a blue luminescent fog started to come out, and carefully, he looked around. It was spreading. Hoping the fog was not toxic, Regis covered his mouth. From the dim light of the fog, Regis caught a glimpse of his own reflection in the water on the floor, and the sight startled him and made him drop his arm. His face was withered, his hair silver and the eyes were bloodshot. Scars were forming along his temples. Around him, the fog started to collect itself, creating tall shapes. Spinning around, he tried to count the amount of shapes, and reached a count of twelve. A deep voice spoke, so loud that it started ringing in Regis' ears.

"When darkness veils the world, the King of Light shall come," the twelve spoke in unison. Regis looked up at the twelfth King, his own father, King Mors Lucis Caelum. Perplexed by their words, Regis swung his arms out in desperation, asking what he had been summoned for.

"As prophesised by the Crystal, the Chosen, the King of Light, must sacrifice himself to save Lucis. Only he can save Lucis from darkness eternal. The fourteenth King must make the ultimate sacrifice to save the world, accepting the full power of the Crystal and banish the usurper from this world and Beyond." Not believing their words, Regis shook his head in disbelief. The water started to weigh down on him, and Regis fell to his knees in the water and looked up at his father's spirit.

"What kind of prophecy is this. Why are you telling me this?" he asked, pleading for it not to be true. His own son could not be the Chosen. He was just 5 years old, how could he save the world from eternal darkness? If anyone, it should not be Noctis, not his own son.

Once again, Regis pulled himself together and stood up, but in an instant, he was back in the car, holding Noctis' arm. Shaking his head, trying to convince himself it had merely been a dream. However, deep inside himself, Regis was fully aware, that this had not been a dream. The Old Kings had spoken to him, warned him of his son's fate, and the acknowledgment made Regis fall further down into the seat. He looked out, and a light rain had started to pour over the Regalia's tinted windows, drawing lines across the glass.

Once outside the Citadel, Regis took Noctis, still fast asleep, in his arms and brought him outside the car. Covered by his cape, Noctis kept sleeping in his father's arms. Regis, having been left alone by the Crownsguard driver, held his son closer than he had for many years. Not being able to hold back anymore, tears pushed their way down his cheeks. Regis, filled with a dangerous mixture of sorrow and anger, stood in the rain with his son, more determined than ever before, to protect his son from all harm in the world.

"Noctis, with all my might and power, I swear to protect you," Regis whispered in his ear. Still asleep, Noctis pushed his father's face away with his small hand. His father's beard had been itching his skin. Taking a deep breath, King Regis looked up into the sky, and thought about his wife. He wished he could have been with her, spoken to her, shared his grief. Slowly he walked towards the entrance of the Citadel, with a determination even he had no idea he possessed.

Having left Noctis in his room to continue his nap, King Regis proceeded towards the upper parts of the Citadel. The walk there felt endless, but determined to push on, Regis continued towards the Crystal. On his way, Regis attempted to plan out what to say to the Astrals once he reached the Crystal. However, despite the many different speeches he had prepared, none of them seemed to be good enough. Thus, he felt quite unprepared when he finally entered the room with the Crystal.

There it was, in all its might. The Crystal. Its dark surface which covered its bright inside. In all its might and glory, this was the very cornerstone of the Kingdom of Lucis. The light pulsating as though a heart, holding the very power that allowed himself to wield magic and conjure weapons, a power which was solely found among the Kings of Lucis. It was a power he could share, should he so desire, but it was a power so great, that he felt it too dangerous to lend it to others. What if it was to be used against him and his son?

King Regis approached the Crystal, and as though having expected him, the Crystal spoke to him. A deep voice which displayed true might, belonging to the leader of the Astrals, Bahamut was echoing in the big room.

"I see, that you have come to confer your son's fate," Bahamut said. The voice of a God it was indeed, and in all its might it lacked any sense of empathy. Bahamut, the God of War, and the leader of the Astrals was indeed a mighty being. However also a very selfish one. Thus, his words were always to be taken with a gran of salt, but at this point, Regis was desperate. He needed to know more of his son's fate, and preferably, find some way to alter it. He was prepared to do anything for his son.

"Why him? Take me instead," Regis pleaded. The chuckle of Bahamut rang deep in the room, almost sounding beastly. Regis got chills, and most of all wished he had not went here. But for his son, he would do anything. He pushed himself towards a more confident posture and mindset.

"He is the Chosen King. He must bring the Light back to Lucis when darkness falls. Only he can wield the power of the Crystal and unleash its true power," Bahamut argued in a monotone voice, "he has been Chosen by the Six; only he can fulfil the prophecy," Regis felt his heart fall heavy in his chest once again, and all hope completely vanished from his mind. All he had ever wanted was to protect his son from all harm, so that he could live the life he wanted to have as King. To marry and pass on the Throne, like he himself had attempted.

"But how long? Will he have enough time to live?" Regis pleaded, his voice weak from emotion. Once again, the tears started pushing away at him, and unable to contain it, they streamed down his face. He expressed a small grunt of annoyance with himself. How could he successfully debate politics concerning the lives of all of his citizens and not even flinch with a hard decision, but when it came to his own son's life, he could barely think.

"Adventure will present itself, you, King, have more imminent matters to worry about. When the time comes, he will be ready," Bahamut spoke, and the Crystal's light faded. Sinking to his knees, Regis felt powerless, and even more than previously, Regis was determined to ensure his son's life would bear resemblance to that of a normal one. Unsure if his son's fate could even be altered, King Regis was confident it would be worth the attempt.

Having sat in the Crystal room for a while, King Regis finally got on his feet. Determined to ensure his son's safety, and ultimately hoped to prove the Prophecy wrong, King Regis had decided to establish a new military division – the Kingsglaive. Composed of only the best military servants, he would call upon citizens from former Lucian areas, which had been left behind during the wars, and offer them a place in his Glaive. He would offer these soldiers the powers of the Crystal so that they could protect Insomnia, and ultimately, his son. No matter what it would take, he would be ready.

King Regis had been quick about spreading the message of the establishment of the Kingsglaive. Broadcast in both radio and newspapers, he attempted to recruit as many people as possible for his Glaive. Citizens from areas such as Galahd came to show their interest, as they were now offered a way back into their old Kingdom. Despite the countless arguments he had had with his advisors, King Regis decided this would be for the best. This way, his former territories could show their allegiance once again, and the more allies he had, the stronger he would stand against the threat of Niflheim. Thus, King Regis proceeded with his mission of establishing the Kingsglaive. However, what he had forgotten to take account of was, that establishing a military unit based around a power which only he could wield, would require many hours of teaching the art of wielding the Crystal's power. Hence, King Regis soon vanished from the daily life of the very son he tried to protect. It was only every so often when Noctis had sat in his father's office and looked out on the Training Grounds that he saw him. Putting his hand on the window, he missed the touch of his father, and the fun times they always had together when they played. Noctis sometimes also got caught up in watching them train. His father, despite being a bit stiff from his age, really impressed Noctis. Even so, Noctis started to every now and then to replicate his father's moves. Dreamily, he whispered to himself, that he wished he could become as good at fighting as his father was.

"Noctis?" Ignis asked. Noctis had fallen into a daydream during dinner. He came back to reality, and looked back at Ignis. While Noctis himself was hanging over the table, Ignis sat with his back straightened, and a napkin tucked in at the top of his shirt so that he would not spill on his clothes. Ignis, taking Noctis' look for an answer, proceeded with conversation.

"You need to eat your vegetables, they provide important nutrients," Ignis lectured. Despite him being only eight, he was very keen on keeping Noctis in his best shape. In school, he had learned of nutrition and health, and would soon also start to learn how to do basic cooking. Despite not being very fond of cooking, he saw it as a necessary evil that could come in handy someday. Rolling his eyes, Noctis put his fork into the pile of peas he had on his plate and shoved them in his mouth. Chewing it carefully, disapproving of their taste, he looked at Ignis who nodded approvingly. Noctis himself however, had a difficult time swallowing it, considering he did not find them to his liking. When Ignis looked away, Noctis carefully took his napkin and spat the peas out, folded the paper and carefully tucked it under the plate. The Crownsguard by the entrance chuckled slightly, attempting to cover it up with a cough.

"Noctis…" Ignis started, but when he looked at Noctis who went on to attack the meat on his plate, gave up and left the discussion for another day to come. Since Noctis' father had established the Kingsglaive, they rarely ate dinner together. Or any meal for that matter, since he was always busy training the recruits. Thus, he was either to be found in the Hall of the Throne, conferring with his advisors, or on the training grounds. Both were places where Noctis was not allowed to come unless having been specifically asked to.

Feeling abandoned by his father, Noctis spent more time with Ignis, whom he got along well with. However, their friendship seemed heavily affected by Ignis' role as an advisor, already from an early age, so their relationship did not quite develop the way that Noctis would have wanted. In school, Noctis also lacked that friendly, relaxed connection. Most of his classmates could only talk to him about how it was to be the Prince of Lucis, but by going to school, Noctis wanted to let go of things at home and just be Noctis.

There was one student in his class, who had never talked to Noctis before. He was blonde, and a bit on the heavy side, who always stuck to himself. Having observed the boy in the school grounds, Noctis noticed that he always walked around with a camera, taking pictures, of whatever caught his eyes. Noctis had also noticed this boy looking at him quite often. He was eager to talk to the boy, but he was equally scared that this boy had bad intentions. So Noctis kept to himself and stuck to observing the boy.

The following day in school, Noctis had gone outside during recess and stood for himself. He heard someone approaching from around the corner, but thought it was just a teacher, so he stuck to his daydream. Suddenly, he heard a loud thump, which shook him back to reality. Noctis saw, that the strange boy had fallen over on the ground, so he rushed over to help him up.

"Are you okay?" Noctis asked curiously, as the boy looked back up at Noctis. He extended a hand towards the boy, who was flabbergasted by the gesture.

"Yeah… Thank you…" the boy said hesitantly as he took Noctis' hand. Noctis pulled hard, but the weight of the boy was more than he could lift in one go.

"You are heavy…" Noctis whispered, though loud enough for the boy to hear, who seemed to feel ashamed by the fact. Noctis took a good look at the boy as he stood up, to see if he had any injuries. The two boys kept looking at each other awkwardly, none of them really knowing what to say. As a relief for them both, the bell rang to class.

"Well, I will see you around!" Noctis said as he ran back towards the classroom. The boy looked longingly after Noctis.

"Name's Prompto by the way!" He said, his voice slowly fading away as Noctis got further away. Noctis however, did hear this, and took note of the name. For once, he felt as though there was someone in the school who was not only interested in him as a Prince, and that felt good. A slight warmth spread in Noctis' body, and he felt happy. He hoped to see the boy again soon, hoping that they could exchange more than just a few words.

In the following few days, Noctis kept an eye out for the boy, but did not see him around the school. Noctis returned home disappointed every day. It was only a week later, that Noctis saw the boy again, while he was waiting for the car to pick him up after school. Ignis held the door for him, and as Noctis turned around and entered the car, he saw Prompto walk away, head hanging low. Noctis was urging to walk after the boy and talk to him, but unsure of what to say, he nodded for Ignis to close the door, so they could go back to the Citadel.

In the car, Noctis sat and looked out of the window, thinking about that boy, Prompto. About how he always seemed so lonely, taking pictures of the other children playing at school. About where he lived, and how he lived. If his parents were alive, and if he had any pets.

"Everything in order, Noctis?" Ignis asked from the other side of the car. Noctis turned his face towards him and nodded.

"Yeah, just thinking." Ignis nodded, despite being interested in Noctis' day, and that curious boy he had been looking after right as he entered the car, Ignis returned to his book and the silence was only disturbed by the occasional car horn from the cars surrounding them.

At dinner, King Regis had finally joined the table for the first time in weeks. Unsure of what else to say to his son, Regis could only ask about Noctis' day. Ignis was not joining for the occasion, so it was only Noctis and Regis, and the Crownsguard standing by the entrance.

"How have you been?" His father asked, slowly. Noctis looked at his father's face, which seemed a lot more slim and exhausted than it used to. Noctis shrugged as a response, not entirely sure what to say to his father. Despite being happy to finally spend some time with him, Noctis was sad to have been left behind by his father. He knew, that his father had a lot of duties as King, but he was not yet old enough to understand that the older Noctis grew, the less time the King could spend with his son.

"Noctis, I know I have not been there for you much lately. I have had responsibilities that took more of my time than I had expected. But I hope, that I can spend more time with you soon," Regis said in a soft voice. Noctis nodded and put some more food in his mouth, which he chewed carefully.

"Dad?" Noctis asked suddenly, raising his eyes from the food, eyes meeting his father's.

"Yes, son?" He responded curiously. Noctis swallowed a last bit of food, and put his fork down. A bit hesitantly, he proceeded.

"Why are you so sad?" Noctis asked carefully, scared that his father would be angry at him for asking. On the contrary, Regis chuckled and moved his head closer to Noctis's and spoke in a lowered voice.

"I am not sad, I just miss being with my favourite son," he said and tapped Noctis' hand. Deep down inside, Regis knew that he could not keep his son's fate secret from him forever, but a child this young should not have to worry. Especially not, when his father was doing everything he could, to protect him from whatever was to come. His fate was not sealed, things are likely to change.

"Can I come to see the new soldiers practice someday? I really want to!" Noctis said eagerly. His father chuckled again, and considered the proposition.

"Well, how about I bring you next time I will go observe? If you promise that you will not wander off. These men and women are doing dangerous things, and I do not want you to get hurt," Regis said while nodding slowly. In sheer excitement, Noctis jumped up in his chair and raised his arms above his head. Having been quick to forgive his father for his disappearance, Noctis was ready to spend more time with him.

"One day, I want to be just as good at fighting as you are," Noctis said dreamily. His father looked at him suspiciously.

"How do you know how good I am at fighting?" Blushing, Noctis explained his little trips into his father's office to look at them training. His father was not sure whether to scold him for trespassing or applaud him for his efforts, so he did neither. Instead he pushed out his chair and signalled for Noctis to come over and sit on his thigh. Noctis did so, and Regis hugged his son lovingly.

"You know, I am sorry I have been so much away. Let me make it up to you. I promise, I will be there more. No need to look at me from a window anymore," He said, and Noctis nodded happily.


	3. Chapter Two

The low humming of the car engine was slowly lulling Noctis to sleep. It would be a long journey from Galdin Quay and back to the Crown City. The convoy of cars was slowly making its way through the hilled landscape, and the sun was setting behind the island of Angelgard. Beside him sat Noctis' caretaker during the trip. King Regis had spent some time in Galdin Quay for some civil events, and had decided to bring along Noctis, in an attempt at spending some time with his son outside of the Crown City in the time immediately after. However, the two did not get to spend much time with each other, as an emergency had occurred, and Regis was required back in the Crown City almost immediately following the events. Noctis however had stayed in Galdin Quay.

Exhausted from the amount of attention he had gotten from strangers, Noctis was eager to return to the Citadel. The caretaker had a comforting hand around Noctis' shoulders, and it was only a matter of time before he returned to dreaming himself far away. Looking forward to seeing his father however, Noctis could not stop thinking about how much he had to tell him. In the evening, Noctis had found fireflies behind their home in Galdin Quay. However, Noctis could not find a jar to keep these in, so unfortunately, he could not show them to his father.

Suddenly, the car was brought to a halt, and the ground underneath it shook. Noctis had almost fallen asleep, and the caretaker moved forward in her seat to look out, pushing Noctis to the side, leaving him in an uncomfortable position. From outside sounded an incredible roar. The Crownsguard drivers in the front seat left the car, telling the caretaker to stay in the car and protect Noctis. However, just as they had left, the enormous creature flung its swords at the men, leaving them bleeding to death on the ground.

The monster rose high above ground. The lower half of its body resembled that of a snake. It was long and scaled, and in the dim light from the last rays of today's sun, it appeared blood-red. Its upper body was more human-like, closely resembling that of a woman. However, with three arms on each side of the body, the creature was nothing like anything Noctis had ever seen before. The monster's eyes were focused on the car in which Noctis sat, and flashing its fang-like teeth, the sight sent a shockwave through Noctis and the urge to run away struck him like a lightning bolt. The caretaker seemed to have the same urge, and pushing the door open in Noctis' side, the caretaker gestured for Noctis to exit the car.

Following orders, Noctis stumbled out of the car, eyes still on the monster. The caretaker quickly followed, and as fast as his short legs allowed it, Noctis ran. Hearing the slithering sound of the beast's incredible body approaching from behind, Noctis filled with panic. A massive roar came from behind, and soon after, an ear-ripping scream sounded from Noctis' caretaker. The force of impact knocked Noctis to the ground. He landed right next to his caretaker, whose blank stare looked back on Noctis. Frightened, Noctis laid still in the pool of blood that slowly grew around him. Looking up, the monster was towering above him, and it lifted its sword above the head. Noctis, closing his eyes in fear, raising his arms in front of his face to protect it, spoke a silent prayer.

But nothing happened. Noctis, opening his eyes again, and saw his father appear, along with several Crownsguards. Wielding the swords of their ancestors, Regis held back the monster, so it could do no more harm to Noctis and his company.

"Noctis!" His father yelled, as he came closer, and, being lifted from the ground, Noctis finally found himself in his father's arms. Drained from energy, his body got heavy, and Noctis' eyes closed.

Noctis could feel cold ground beneath him. Slowly coming to, he groaned as his head was hurting. Unsure if due to physical injury, Noctis put his hand to his forehead, but with no visible blood, he decided to sit up. Looking around, he seemed to be in a forest of sorts. The trees were incredibly tall, with long vines hanging down. Confused about his whereabouts, Noctis stood up.

"Hello?" He asked, only to see a four-legged creature walk towards him. It had long, pointed ears, and was no bigger than a small dog. It was white, and not quite like anything Noctis had seen before, and it had a small, red horn in its forehead. It held something in its mouth. A mobile phone.

Having looked at Noctis for a moment, it left the phone on the ground in front of Noctis, and quickly after, it left and went further into the forest. Looking after it, Noctis picked up the phone. Hope flowed through Noctis. Now he could possibly find his father, and get back home to the Citadel. The phone buzzed. Filled with excitement, Noctis lifted the phone.

 _Hello? Can you read this? In front of you!_

Noctis, looking up from the phone, he saw the funny creature having walked back to him. It started walking the same way it left the last time, only now it signalled for Noctis to follow. Phone still in his hand, Noctis got up from the ground, still perplexed. Where was he? The phone buzzed again, and as though having read his mind, the creature had responded to his question.

 _This is the world of your dreams. This is your Kingdom._

Looking around, Noctis had to admit this world looked like nothing he had ever seen before. It did however, seem weird. Why would he have fallen asleep? Stretching his brain as far as he could, he tried to recall what last happened, before he came here.

"Fire…" he whispered. All Noctis could recall was fire and screams. Lots of them.

Following the mysterious creature, Noctis began to run. The mysterious creature ran flawlessly across the uneven ground. Noctis however, stumbled over the rocks and branches that protruded from the ground in mysterious ways. As they moved forward, a path was caved in between two large rocks, on which a tree had fallen over, providing shade.

It looked as though there were fireflies in the air, as small, shiny particles flew around. They seemed to fly around in clumps as well, making them seem alive. However, as Noctis touched them, they vanished into thin air. The ground started shaking, and ahead came a gigantic creature. Suddenly, Noctis remembered the monster which had attacked him, and caused the screaming. Terrified, Noctis ran closer to the wall. The little creature turned around and looked at him, and the phone started buzzing again. Looking at the phone, it said:

 _Don't worry about that guy. He may look scary, but he's actually a very gentle giant!_

Carefully leaving the shadows, Noctis walked up next to the mysterious creature and took a better look at the giant. He was of earthen colours, and a shiny hue appeared around him. Just as quickly as he had appeared, he vanished in a flurry of golden particles that filled the air and flowed with the wind. Flabbergasted, Noctis looked around, and the tiny creature began moving forward.

"Where am I?" Noctis whispered to himself, and in the second he was unaware of his surroundings, he slipped and slid down into an underground passage filled with water. The creature quickly followed.

 _You haven't dozed off – you're out cold! If you want to wake up and see everyone again, we have to find the exit!_

"Wake… up?" Noctis asked, getting more and more scared. As though ignoring his question, the creature moved on through the uneven terrain. Now, the grass and somewhat stable ground was gone, and replaced with wet and slippery stone, making it even harder for Noctis to stay on his feet.

After having run for what felt like hours, the sun had started to set, and the two reached a lake within the passage. The creature stopped and looked back at Noctis, with a worried expression in its face. Noctis sat down on the ground and looked up at the sky.

 _We better make camp here for tonight…_ _We still have a long journey ahead of us._

"Why do I have to go back? I quite like it here!" Noctis said excitedly. Truly, if it was the world of Noctis' dreams, he could not imagine why he would ever want to leave this place. After all, it was quiet, and he had no school to attend. No responsibilities.

 _It's not safe. The monsters come out at night and we need to hide from them_. _There's a cave over here!_

The creature moved towards the walls of the passage, where a small hole was to be found. Noctis crawled inside, but it was incredibly dark inside. Noctis stretched out his arm, and he could barely see the fingers at the end of it. The creature's horn suddenly lit up brightly, and the entire cave stood clear to Noctis. Inside there was not much room, but enough for the two to sit comfortably.

Noctis had sat down in the back of the little cave, hugging his knees he started to freeze. The creature seemed to notice. It went over and sat down next to Noctis, leaning up against him. A sudden warmth spread from where the creature touched Noctis, and all the way to the top of his head and the tips of his toes.

 _I don't think I introduced myself! I'm Carbuncle. I've been sent here to protect you from the monsters!_

"Nice to meet you!" Noctis said, smiling all over his face. Carbuncle looked up at him, a slight hint of sadness in its eyes. Phone, still in his hands, Noctis kept looking at it. He had so many questions bubbling inside his head, but he knew nothing of what to start asking, so he stumbled on his words. However, Carbuncle seemed patient, and after a few moments, Noctis could finally phrase his first question.

"If this is my dream world… Then why are there monsters here?" Noctis said in a low voice. Carbuncle shifted in its place, so that it could look properly at Noctis, yet still touched him, so that he kept warming up Noctis.

 _Well, your dreams have been infested with daemons, and they are the reason you can't wake up! We need to escape them!_

"But… If I'm sleeping, where am I?"

 _In Tenebrae. Your father brought you there after the Marilith attacked you outside Galdin Quay. He sent me to protect you in this world, so you could come back home._

Chewing on Carbuncle's words, Noctis looked away and down at his hands. The images of the burning car, and the enormous monster, called Marilith, returned to Noctis. So did the image of his caretaker who had tried to protect him, and died in the attempt. Sadness hit Noctis like a wave, and his eyes started tearing up. Why would he want to return to a world of pain and suffering, when he could just stay here? Along with Carbuncle, he could defeat the monsters and stay in the world of his dreams forever. But then, he thought of all the happy times he had had with his father. His friend, Ignis.

 _I need to bring you back. So we need to find the exit! But first, we should sleep!_

Noctis could feel his stomach growling from hunger. Looking down, placing a hand on it, he could feel the emptiness inside.

 _So you're hungry? No problem!_

Carbuncle stood up and closed its eyes. Noctis observed its every move closely. It had no place for an inventory of food, so from where it would get the food, if it did not leave the cave, Noctis had no idea. Carbuncle lowered its head towards the ground, and a red light started to glow. Hesitant to cover his eyes, Noctis squinted his eyes, and a small scent of food had reached his nose. It smelled good. The light vanished as quickly as it had come, and when he opened his eyes again fully, Noctis was filled with happiness. Despite it being a simple thing, the sight of something well-known made him happy. It was Cup Noodles.

 _I know it's not much, but I hope it can help you!_

Noctis grabbed the cup and started to eat it with great pleasure. Never had Cup Noodles tasted this good, Noctis thought to himself. They had prawn in it, and tiny pieces of vegetable which Noctis attempted to skip past. However, due to their small size, few joined in the sips he took of the broth. However, they tasted of little enough for it to be okay.

Having finished the noodles, Noctis yawned. Tiredness flooded him, and he laid down. It was hard to find a comfortable position on the rocky floor of the cave, but Carbuncle went up to him and laid down, signalling for Noctis to put his head on its back. Once again, Noctis felt good, and he quickly fell asleep.

The following day, Carbuncle was nowhere to be found when Noctis woke up. Noctis poked his head out of the small entrance, and still, no Carbuncle. Despite it talking to Noctis through the phone, there was no way in which Noctis could communicate with it through the phone. No number to call or text. Nothing.

Feeling abandoned, Noctis went outside the cave, and looked around. It was still quite dark outside, but the sun was looming out in the horizon. Walking around the small lake, Noctis tried to find his friend.

From behind, Noctis could hear approaching footsteps. Excited, Noctis turned around, only to see a creature he had never seen before. Most of all, it looked like an enormous hound. It was pitch-black, and its eyes were glowing red. From its mouth, vast fangs protruded, and a deep growling sound escaped its lips. Too scared to make a sound, Noctis fell to the ground and tried to crawl backwards away from the hound, which followed. Its claws were sharp and ready to tear. The beast got ready to jump onto Noctis, and in fear, Noctis' breathing got rapid, heart pounding away in his chest.

Closing his eyes, Noctis thought to himself that this was it. He would never see his friends again. But then, something heavy landed in his lap. The sensation startled him, as he thought the beast was now standing on top of him. However, realising he was still alive, he opened his eyes and found his sword. The very sword his father had given him on his eighth birthday. It was made of plastic, and very closely resembled his father's sword.

Noctis grabbed the sword, and quickly hit the hound on its head and got on his feet. The hound was enraged by this, and it leaped at Noctis. However, mid-air, the hound stopped, and landed on the ground. Behind it, Carbuncle had grabbed onto the hound's tail, keeping it from leaping at Noctis. Together, they pounded away at the hound, until it finally ran away whimpering. Having defeated the hound, Noctis jumped in the air, feeling proud of himself.

The sun had finally risen above the horizon. The phone buzzed in Noctis' pocket, and he took it out.

 _It is not safe to go outside before the sun has risen… Hounds like these will hunt you down. But we're safe now, so let's go and find that exit!_

Leaving the passage with the lake, Noctis once again found himself in a forest, just like where he had first woken up. Carbuncle seemed to know the way, so joyfully, Noctis followed. Despite the two not speaking much, Noctis felt like time passed by quickly as they went through the forest. All around were beautiful flowers of every possible colour which Noctis could think of. There were bushes with berries which Noctis had never seen before, many of which Noctis was urging to taste.

Hidden, deep in-between the trees, there were little bumps in the ground, with what appeared to be windows. Curious, Noctis approached one of such bumps. On his knees, Noctis lowered his face and looked inside the window. Inside the bump, he could see a tiny home, in which a tiny woman and man were sitting. They had wings which glittered in the light from the candle on the table. They looked out at Noctis, at first startled, but then they waved at him. Puzzled, Noctis kept looking at them, until he finally waved back.

 _Those are forest fairies! They're very nice people, but we don't have time to get to know them now! We must hurry and find the Forest Gate, which I believe is your exit!_

Noctis got on his feet again, and brushed off most of the dirt he had gotten on his trousers. Returning to Carbuncle, they proceeded along the path they had originally followed. At day, it seemed there were no monsters around.

When they finally reached the end of the path, they found a meadow. In the middle was a tree, so big it could almost reach the clouds above. In it, many birds could be found sitting on the branches. They were very colourful, and their chirping sounded more like chatter than singing. The grass was tall, reaching up to Noctis' waist.

Investigating the vast tree more closely, Noctis realised that the lower branches of the tree almost formed a path to the crown of the tree above. Next to him, Carbuncle looked up at him. The phone buzzed.

 _I will go find us something to eat. I saw how you looked at all the berries, so I thought we could eat those as a snack! I will be back soon!_

And with that, Carbuncle scattered off back the way they came.

At first, Noctis sat at the foot of the tree. But as time passed by slowly, Noctis' curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to attempt the ascend into the crown of the tree. Reaching for the first branch, Noctis could easily pull himself up. It was not very high up, and it did not bulge much under his weight. Steadily, Noctis pulled onto the next branch and looked up. It was still quite far to go, but on the branches above, the birds seemed to gather to observe Noctis' journey up into their world high above the ground.

As Noctis slowly proceeded higher up into the tree, the day started to come to an end. Looking down, Noctis began to feel dizzy; He was higher up than he had ever been before. Scared that he would fall, Noctis leaned up against the trunk of the tree. He sat down, one leg on either side of the branch.

A bird landed in front of him, and with its pearly black eyes, it looked at him with a tilted head. It had red feathers on most of its body, and was no larger than an adult fist. Its tail feathers however were all the colours of the rainbow, and seemed to shift colours in the rays of the sun. Noctis reached his hand towards it, and the bird jumped backwards, away from Noctis.

"Don't worry, I just want to say hi!" Noctis said, stopping his move towards the bird. Seemingly acknowledging his words, the bird slowly moved towards the hand. As it had reached him, the bird pushed its head gently towards Noctis' hand, and the feathers tickled him slightly on the finger. Noctis giggled and smiled all over his face. Feeling a friendly connection, Noctis kept looking it in the eye.

"My name is Noctis!" He said, and the bird jumped onto his index finger. Its grip onto his finger was firm, and the claws poked slightly into his skin. Nevertheless, Noctis let it stay, and pulled his arm a bit closer to the rest of his body. Now level with his head, Noctis held up the bird. It kept looking at him in an interested way. Their connection was however interrupted, as the bird flew away. Noctis looked after the bird, wondering why it had left him alone, but then he heard a swooping sound from his right. Turning his face towards the sound, he saw an enormous falcon approach. Scared, Noctis attempted to descend from the branch he was on, but the falcon caught up to him and grabbed his arm.

Screaming, Noctis pleaded for help, as he now hung in the falcon's claws. The falcon itself was larger than a fully-grown man, when only looking at the size of its body. Wishing that Carbuncle was there, Noctis looked down at the ground below him. What would he do now? The sun was setting, and the monsters would be out soon. On his right, Noctis could see a lit area. Looking more closely, it appeared to be torches that were lit around a doorway. Noctis remembered Carbuncle speaking of the exit from his Dreamworld, so maybe this was the place?

Only thing Noctis could do now, was hope that the flight was ending soon, and that he would be close enough to the gate to reach it before the monsters got to him.

After what felt like an endless flight, Noctis finally saw the falcon descending into a nest high above ground. In it were eggshells, although empty. A loud choir of chirping could be heard from in-between the eggshells, and Noctis soon after found himself among a group of the falcon's chicks. They too, looked curiously at Noctis. The mother falcon looked down at Noctis, and started to peck at him. Dodging the pecks, Noctis almost fell out of the nest, hanging only from a loose branch underneath the nest. The chicks chirped even louder now. Noctis had been close to having been fed to the falcon's chicks!

The mother falcon looked underneath the nest, looking for the food she would have given to her babies, only to find it hanging down. Reaching for Noctis, careful not to push him into a fall from the tree, she grabbed a hold of him. Wiggling, Noctis tried to get free from her grip and it worked. Soon, all sense of stability left Noctis, and he was in free fall. Scared, Noctis screamed, closing his eyes to prevent himself from seeing how close to impact he was, he found himself feeling hopeless. This was the end. He could feel the ground approaching, and…

Nothing.

Noctis opened his eyes, and he was hovering centimetres above ground. Looking above, he could not see the falcon having grabbed hold of him again. He looked around, and suddenly he felt himself thumping down on the ground below. Still alive, Noctis got up, and looked at Carbuncle who was now standing in front of him.

 _You need to be more careful Noctis! I only left for a short while, and you nearly got yourself killed!_

Noctis, relieved to just be alive, sat down. Carbuncle dropped some berries in his lap. Exhausted from the journey to near-death, Noctis munched the berries almost in one mouthful. They exploded in his mouth and left an incredible taste in his mouth. They were fresh and sweet, tasting quite closely like raspberries, although much more delightful than that.

"What are these berries? They are delicious!" Noctis exclaimed.

 _Ulwaat berries! They are a quite important component in most Tenebraean desserts!_

The two sat and ate berries in the twilight, not realising that they had not yet found shelter from the monsters that would soon come out. Realising this only too late, the two found themselves surrounded by hounds. On their feet, Noctis and Carbuncle found themselves with no other alternative than to try and run. So they did. While running, Noctis recalled what he had seen earlier.

"Carbuncle," Noctis said, panting. It looked up at Noctis. "I saw a gate earlier! I think I know what direction it was in!" Nodding, Carbuncle signalled for Noctis to lead the way.

Slaloming between the trees and rocks, sliding underneath fallen trees and jumping over roots on the ground, Noctis and Carbuncle fled for their lives, as the red-eyed hounds pursued them. The darkness of night had fallen over the forest like a duvet, and it quite quickly became evident to Noctis that if they did not find the gate soon, they might not make it out alive. Carbuncle, realising the same, started to look for hiding places in which the hounds could not reach them.

However, just as it appeared that all hope for finding the gate was lost, a light could be in the distance. Filled with hope once again, Noctis gained a boost of energy and sped across the forest bed. Having finally reached the gate, Noctis went up to it and opened the door. A bright light came from inside. So bright, that he could not see what was waiting. Carbuncle stood beside him, and the hounds... Noctis turned around.

The hounds had stopped outside what seemed to be an invisible barrier, keeping Noctis and Carbuncle safe. Door, still open, Noctis turned to Carbuncle.

"Will you come with me?" Noctis asked the creature. Carbuncle shook its head.

 _I can't. Not like this anyway. We must go each our own way now!_

Noctis looked away from Carbuncle. Despite their short amount of time together, Noctis did not want to leave his new friend alone in this world where the beasts were looming around every corner, and where nobody would be safe. Noctis sat down on the ground in front of Carbuncle.

"I don't want to leave you. You're my friend!" Noctis said, voice shaking.

 _You won't be leaving me! I will always be there with you! You just won't be able to see me, but I will be there, in your heart._

Noctis started crying. Recalling, Noctis always felt as though every time he began to cherish something in his life, it would leave him. Like his father had done when he was younger, to train the new soldiers.

 _Noctis… I will be here, waiting for you in your dreams when you need me the most. I will never really leave you._

Wiping his eyes dry with its tail, Carbuncle stood at Noctis' side, head brushing against his arm.

"I just don't want to be alone anymore. I have no real friends back there…" Noctis said quietly.

 _Ah, but you will get friends soon! Trust me, these friends will be good to you. They will cherish you and hold you dear, just as you will love and care about them! You already have Ignis…_

"Ignis is always busy with school. And he's so different from me…"

 _But he will be there for you when you need him. He will do anything to make sure you are well, to make sure you are happy and safe, just like your father will._

Rolling his thumbs, Noctis thought about Carbuncle's words. Deep inside, Noctis knew these things. But the again, everyone he seemed to care about, were always too busy to be around Noctis when he wanted them to be. They were there only when he really needed them.

"I wish… I wish I could just stay here. The others… They don't seem to want to be there more than they need to…" Noctis whispered, scared to say the things he had been feeling for long.

 _They want to be there. They just need to make sure that they can keep you safe first. Everyone in your life cherishes you. They know how important you are. And in time, you will know, too._

Looking out at the monsters urging to get inside the barriers, Noctis hesitated to leave. Carbuncle touched Noctis' hand with its paw, and Noctis was shot back in time.

Standing inside his room in the Citadel, Noctis looked at himself sleeping. Outside, the moon was lighting up the sky, and the Crown City was fast asleep. Looking at the clock in his room, Noctis could see that it was far past 1 in the night. His father, having just entered his room, seemed not to notice Noctis standing in the corner of the room. He sat down on the bed, just beside the sleeping Noctis, and placed a figurine on his bedside table. It was a white figure, a few inches tall, and it had pointed ears and a long, fluffy tail. Now, Noctis finally realised wherefrom he had remembered Carbuncle. His father spoke in a low voice, the depth of it warming Noctis from the inside.

"This one will protect you through your darkest dreams. But remember, Noct. In the world of your dreams, you are King."

Shaken back to present time, Noctis could feel something powerful flow through him. Looking in Carbuncle's eyes, he could see that he was no longer his eight-year-old self. He seemed older, although not knowing how much older.

 _You will do many remarkable things Noctis. Everyone believes in you. But you don't belong in this world._

A loud hammering came from above. Now, a giant was hammering its sword down towards Carbuncle and Noctis, and a loud cracking sound could be heard. Not knowing how much longer the invisible barrier could protect the two, Carbuncle pushed Noctis towards the doorway.

 _I know you have many questions, but they will be answered in time. You must go now. Back to your real world._

Hesitantly, Noctis stood up from the ground. With many things still to say to Carbuncle, Noctis decided to swallow his words and turned towards the door. The bright lights burning his eyes, Noctis turned around to look at his furry friend one last time. Nodding at him, Carbuncle signalled that it was time. Taking a deep breath, Noctis went through the door, and the light swallowed him.


	4. Chapter Three

A bright light shone in Noctis' face as he came to. Beside him sat a tall, dark figure, whom he could not recognise with the bright light forcing his eyes shut again. He could hear a steady beeping sound, which, after a couple seconds, he recognised as his own heartbeat being repeated by a heart monitor. The dark figure stood up, and went over to the window. A swoosh sounded, and the light got shut out of the room, allowing Noctis to see more clearly.

The room he was in was entirely white. A painting was to be seen on the wall, but aside from this, all furniture, floors and walls, were painted white. To his right was the heart monitor, and several IV-drops that were attached to Noctis' right arm with several tubes. To his left was a table, on which he found a lamp and a small figurine. It was the Carbuncle, and next to it, a tall vase with blue, long-stalked flowers.

Now, able to see, Noctis recognised the dark figure that had sat by his side as he woke up. It was his father. Smiling at him, Regis sat down on the bed next to Noctis again. The soft covers tightened slightly around Noctis as his father sat on them. Noctis saw that his father appeared a lot more tired than he remembered, evidence lying in his father's skin being paler than normal, and the circles underneath his eyes far darker than they had used to. His cheekbones also stood out far more than they used to. One could easily have thought Regis had fallen ill, however, the uncertainty of his son's survival had kept Regis from eating and sleeping. He had even let his Royal Advisors do the most part of his job for the past weeks as he was attending to his son in Tenebrae.

"Welcome back, my son," Regis said as he laid a hand on his son's chest. Noctis put his hand on top of his father's, and the warmth of his touch radiated through Noctis' hand. Along with it, spread happiness to be with his father again.

"What… happened?" Noctis asked. Regis took a deep breath and looked away from his son, waiting a moment to answer, trying to put together an explanation that would be easy for his son to understand, yet not cause him too much worry.

"You were attacked. I should have been with you, but I wasn't. Had I only come moments later…" Sadness filled Regis by the thought of having lost his son. Still holding Noctis' hand, Regis tightened his grip, and along with it, got a bit better hold of himself. Looking at Noctis again, he smiled a pained smile.

"I brought you to Tenebrae; When you have rested, I have someone that I want to introduce you to," Regis said with an attempted excitement in his voice. Mostly, he was just relieved to see his son alive and well. Now that he was out of his coma, Regis could finally get some rest.

"Dad?" Noctis asked. Regis looking at him, Noctis saw his fit to continue with his inquiry. "Thank you for bringing Carbuncle here. It protected me from the monsters that kept me from waking up." Regis chewed a bit on Noctis words, until he finally responded to his son's words.

"Monsters?" Regis finally asked, worried what his son would say next. Noctis sat up in his bed, excitement growing in his face, ready to tell his father of his adventures in the Dream World alongside his companion.

"Yes! I woke up in a forest, and Carbuncle was there! And… And, he showed me how to leave the dream world! And there was this big falcon which took me to its nest, and there were these hounds with red, glowing eyes that tried to attack us, but suddenly I had the sword you gave me for my birthday and I made it run away, and…" Exploding with eagerness to tell his father what he had experienced with Carbuncle, Noctis made many gestures with his arms, almost ripping out the IV from his hand.

"Careful now, Noct. You wouldn't want to pull out the needles," Regis said in a warm voice, very well hiding the concern that was now growing inside of him like a tumour, "I think maybe you should get some sleep, I have some business to attend to, and then, afterwards, I have a dessert you need to taste," Regis said as he stood up from Noctis' bed, patting his son's hand, as it laid between the two of his own. Noctis yawned, and quite quickly he closed his eyes, his entire body relaxing. As he dozed off, Regis left the room, quietly closing the door behind him.

In the hallway, Ignis was sitting, waiting for Regis to leave the room. As he closed the door, Ignis sprung up from his chair, and pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, as they had slid down slightly in his excited jump.

"Anything, your Highness?" Ignis asked, voice firm and composed, tone a bit worried. Regis, started walking along the hallway, his hands in the trouser pockets.

"Yes, he has woken up, but I am a bit worried…" Regis thought aloud. Ignis' level of maturity made it easy for Regis to forget that he was still just a child. He often had to remind himself that children should not know everything, as they tend to be more easily affected by whatever they were told. Particularly when it came to bad news. However, Regis also knew deep inside, that Ignis had just as much concern for Noctis as he had, and as Noctis' advisor, Regis felt that it was important for him to know how he was doing. Even if there were bad sides to it.

"What about?" Ignis asked. Regis looked down at the boy. Only ten years of age, and Ignis had already grown rather tall. As always, he dressed in rather formal attire, taking his position as Noctis' advisor seriously, and despite his young age, always displaying an incredible amount of self-restriction.

"I probably shouldn't tell you this…" Regis began, coming to a halt in the middle of the hallway, "but Noctis told me, that during his coma, he had been kept from waking up by some 'hounds, with red, glowing eyes'." Ignis, folding his arms across his chest, shifting on his feet, looked up at the King.

"And you are fearing that the Marilith has infected Noctis with the daemonic plague?" Ignis asked, almost taking the words out of Regis' mouth. Afraid of affirming that his thoughts had gone along those exact ideas, Regis looked away from the boy. "Well, it is not entirely impossible that this would be the case. Have you thought about consulting with the Oracle?" Regis nodded.

"That is where I am headed now." Regis replied, still looking towards the exit at the end of the hallway. Ignis nodded, once again pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

"I shall remain seated here, in case someone comes," Ignis said. Regis had not brought along much security, as very few knew where he and his son had disappeared to; practically, it was only those who had accompanied Regis and his son to Tenebrae, who knew. Ignis turned around and went back to the chair outside of the door to Noctis' room, and Regis was left standing alone. After a moment of hesitation, Regis brushed his cape behind him, and left the hospital-wing, heading towards Fenestala Manor.

Outside, a slight breeze was in the air, brushing lightly against Regis' cape as he walked along the path through Tenebrae. Located high in the mountains, Fenestala Manor was the home of the Tenebraean royalty, the Nox Fleurets. The current Oracle, Sylva Nox Fleuret, was a strong and determinant Queen, loved by her people. So much in fact, that even the Empire respected her duty as Oracle, and in spite of their long standing control over the Kingdom, they had at no point dared to settle troops in the cities.

The Queen's hair was blonde, as were her children's, and her eyes quite closely bore the same colour as the flowers dominating the Tenebraean art culture: Sylleblossoms. Her daughter, Lunafreya, had brought a bouquet for Noctis, which Regis had placed beside his Carbuncle totem in a vase, hoping that they would bring him speedy recovery.

Fenestala Manor overlooked Ulwaat city, which in itself was a sight for sore eyes. Waterfalls flowed from the mountains surrounding the city, and trees were blooming all around. Whereas Insomnia, the Crown City, was very urban, the entire Kingdom of Tenebrae kept in touch with nature. It had less protective forces than the Crown City. However, for as long as the Kingdom had existed, it had been greatly respected by all nations, due to its royalty being in such close connection with the Astrals, and the very nature of the Oracles to be welcoming of all humankind.

Deep-in-thought, Regis had reached the Manor. Having received an open invitation to come and go as he pleased, Regis went inside, hand resting on the golden handle momentarily, before he pushed it down and went inside. As Regis went through the door, he had entered a vast hallway, with a staircase in the middle of the room. The walls were painted blue, and the floor was of white marble. The railing of the stairs was covered with golden paint, and from the ceiling above it hung a beautiful golden chandelier. Along the walls were small tables, on which vases with Sylleblossoms were kept, as well as family photographs in wooden frames.

Uncertain of where to go, Regis stood still right inside of the door, and kept looking around, admiring the vibrant colours of the room. From upstairs, Regis could hear the faint sound of a piano. Slowly, Regis followed the sound of music, and inside a room, at the far end of the corridor to the right of the staircase, he found Lunafreya sitting by a grand, white piano. From the doorway, Regis stood and admired the girl, as her fingers moved flawlessly over the keys, almost as though dancing. The sunlight fell on her, making the small rhinestones on her dress' left shoulder shimmer. The room was not very big, and aside from the piano there was very little furniture; only a small sofa with a dark wooden frame and blue fabric. The walls were painted blue, as with the rest of the Manor it appeared, and the floor was of oaken wood. The music Lunafreya was playing was slow, and stuck to the higher notes. Regis had rarely ever heard music, and when he did, it was never anything like this. It was peaceful, mellow and laden with emotion.

Beside Lunafreya, two dogs were sleeping. One with dark fur, and another that was snow-white. They looked at peace, although their ears were raised in the air, appearing as though they were listening to the music in their sleep. Regis closed his eyes and let the music fill his ears, and for a second, he had forgotten the reason he had come to the Manor in the first place. As the music came to a halt, Regis opened his eyes again, and Lunafreya was looking at him from her seat by the piano.

"Oh, Your Highness… I had not realised you were here," she said and stood up quickly and bowed for him. She smiled nervously to him, and grabbed her left arm. Her hair was about shoulder-length, so bright it was on a hair-thin line between blonde and white. She wore a white dress and shoes. Her bright blue eyes were locked onto him, an incredible amount of strength displayed.

"Just call me Regis," he replied, and shifted on his feet. Now, recalling what he had come for, his expression changed, Lunafreya noticed this. Almost as though she had read his intentions, Lunafreya walked over to him, the dogs followed.

"Mother is outside in the gardens. Come, I will show you," Lunafreya said and took Regis' hand in hers. Her hands were chill, and incredibly small in his. Lunafreya walking ahead of Regis, showed him the way through their Manor. It was a vast place, although not quite as large as the Citadel, and its design was vastly different from what Regis was used to seeing. There were many decorations, flowers and paintings all around, and a lot of the space in the rooms was occupied by furniture, unlike the usual interior design of Crown City space, which was kept dark and to a minimum.

From the living room, Lunafreya showed Regis through a set of French doors and out on the porch, which overlooked their private gardens. It was beautiful. In the middle was a small pond, in which fish of all colours were swimming around peacefully. A couple frogs were even sunbathing on some of the stones. Lunafreya's two dogs ran outside in the gardens and vanished from sight, and far ahead, Regis could see the Queen's beautiful crystal crown shimmer in the sunlight.

"Mother, King Regis is here to see you," Lunafreya said as she approached her mother. Queen Sylva's eyes were closed. Scared that he had interrupted her prayers, Regis hesitated to move closer, but Lunafreya waved her hand at him, signalling for him to come closer.

"Ah, Your Highness, welcome to Fenestala Manor!" Queen Sylva said as she opeed her eyes, her blue eyes looking deep into Regis', as though she looked straight through him.

"Your Majesty," Regis replied, kissing her hand lightly. She gestured for him to sit beside her on the bench. He sat down, and looked ahead and out over Ulwaat. It was a beautiful day, the sunlight shimmering in the windows of the many homes of the Tenebraean citizens. It was the perfect place for a King or Queen to watch over his or her people.

"How is your son?" Sylva asked, pouring a cup of tea for Regis. Its sweet smell hit Regis' nose. It smelled like a combination of flowers and herbs which Regis had never smelled before, yet it was so tempting that he did not hesitate to bring the cup to his lips and taste the hot liquid. It warmed him from inside, and the sweet taste filled him with a sensation of content he had not felt for long.

"He has woken up…" Regis began, wrinkles now appearing across his forehead, as he started to think of Noctis' monsters.

"Ah, but I see something troubles you however, about this?" Sylva said as she sipped from her cup of tea. Regis looked down at the cup in his hands. Like most of the other things in the Nox Fleuret residence, the cups stuck to a theme of blue, white and gold, and the Sylleblossoms being key to the decorations.

"He…" Regis started, yet his words seemed to fail him. He took a deep breath, and finally found some courage to continue. "He spoke of daemons having kept him from waking up from his coma…" With these words, Sylva put down her cup on the table in front of them and stood up from the bench. She went over to the hedge that separated the gardens from the mountain side.

"And you are worried that the Starscourge may be involved?" She asked. Regis nodded and kept staring at the tea. Sylva turned around and closed her eyes in the sun, enjoying the warming rays on her skin.

"I understand why you are worried, it is understandable. With the amount of experiments the Empire is conducting, we have all the more reason to be more careful these days," She said, eyes still closed. "If you want, I can come and pray with you. It may give you both some more peace."

"I would very much appreciate that, Your Grace," Regis spoke, voice still filled with concern. The Oracle came over to Regis and sat down on her knees in front of him. She took his hands, and they started glowing bright. Putting her hands to his temples, she closed her eyes and prayed for Regis.

A sense of calm grew from Regis' temples, and filled him into the deepest corners of his body. All worry and concern for Regis' son seemed to leave his body, and replaced instead by hope. Hope, that his son would be alright, and that soon, they could return to the Crown City and move on following this event. The images of Noctis' weak body in his own arms, soon came unclear to Regis.

"Thank you, Your Grace," Regis said, and the Oracle smiled back at him.

"Now, let us enjoy our tea, before we move on with our agenda for today, shall we?" She said as she sat back down on the bench. As she grabbed her cup of tea, she looked down at it, slightly displeased. Grabbing for the teapot, she mumbled something about her tea having gone cold, but as she mixed the old with new tea, steam slowly began to rise from her cup, and once again she was smiling. The two sat in quiet and looked out over Ulwaat.

Later that afternoon, King Regis and Queen Sylva of Tenebrae went to visit Noctis in the hospital-wing. Ignis followed along this time, eager to see his friend. Staying true to his King, Ignis had by no means gone inside Noctis' room to disturb him, however tempting it had been. To Ignis, it had become evident that his desires should by no means compromise the safety and integrity of his King, or in this case Prince, so as patient as he came to be, Ignis had sat outside the whole afternoon and read in his book.

As the Queen, his father and friend entered Noctis' room, Noctis woke up from his slumber. Only, he did not recognise the woman standing before him. His father came up to him first.

"Noctis, I want you to meet Queen Sylva of Tenebrae, the Oracle," He said and extended his hand out towards her. Sitting up again, Noctis extended a hand towards her, admiring the beautiful crown on her head, and the peculiar collar of her garments that looked quite a lot like the flowers on his bedside table.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Prince Noctis," Sylva said as she took his hand in hers, and smiled such a broad smile, that her eyes almost closed. Small wrinkles took shape at the corners of her eyes. Finally, Noctis' father moved, and he saw his friend standing in the door, looking at him from a distance.

"Ignis!" Noctis exclaimed. Ignis walked closer, trying to hide his equal excitement. As Ignis reached Noctis' bed, Noctis swung his arms around his friend and embraced him tightly. Ignis slowly put his arms around Noctis' torso, and the two shared a brief hug, until Noctis' father cleared his throat. Ignis took a step backwards, and sat down in the chair on the right side of Noctis' bed, beside the window.

"Your father has told me that you fought some monsters in your Dream World," Sylva explained. Noctis nodded, a hint of pride in his face. Looking at Ignis, making sure that he heard what was being said, he realised that Ignis too, looked a bit worried. Now, Noctis' pride was replaced with a sense of disappointment. Why was he the only one who seemed to find it cool?

"Would you mind if I said a prayer for you, Noctis?" Sylva asked. Noctis looked at his father, who nodded slowly, Noctis looked at Sylva and did the same. She took his hands in hers, and a bright light appeared from underneath Noctis' hands. Eyes wide open, Noctis stared at her hands. He had never seen anything like it. Even Ignis moved a bit forward in his chair.

She put her hands on Noctis' temples, and closed her eyes. Uncertain if he should do the same, Noctis followed along, in hopes that he would not do anything wrong. Sylva began to speak.

"Blessed stars of life and light, deliver us from darkness' blight. Protect us from all harm akin, purge us from the evil within." She spoke under her breath.

A violent headache emerged from deep inside Noctis' skull, and by the second it grew more intense. Noctis began crying, putting his hands to his head. Regis, scared, grabbed his son's arm and looked at him.

"Noctis! What's happening?" He bellowed. Sylva had moved a bit further away from Noctis, not looking scared, nor comfortable. Ignis looked at her with a furious expression.

"What did you do to him?!" Ignis roared at her. She looked at Ignis, and in a calm voice, she responded.

"I have done nothing but attempt to cleanse him from all evil. However, it is rooted further inside him than I had thought…" She contemplated. Noctis, still crying and screaming, and the sound of his heart monitor filled the room with rapid beeping. Regis, still holding his son against his chest, was scared more than he had ever been before. Had his own son really been infected? And if so, what about everyone else he had been around?

Suddenly, Noctis' cries and screaming were replaced by an intense silence. All sound but the now steady heart monitor had been muted. Regis slowly backed away from his son, who was now sitting up, unsupported, looking down at his duvet-covered legs. Regis put a hand on his son's shoulder, and lifted his chin.

"Noctis…?" He asked quietly, but what he saw in his son's face was foreign to him. While everything else about Noctis' face was normal, his eyes were completely black, and something dark came oozing from his eyes. Looking emptily at his father, Noctis seemed to have vanished for a second. Then, with a cough, a dark cloud escaped Noctis' mouth and his eyes returned to normal. Quickly, Ignis captured the cloud in the vase which had previously held the Sylleblossoms, and covered it with paper so it could not escape.

"Noctis?" Queen Sylva asked carefully. Noctis looked at her.

"Mhm?" He responded in an exhausted voice. Everyone held their breath.

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired, but better…" Noctis said as he yawned, and struggled to keep his eyes open. The people around him sighed, and their bodies relaxed from all the tension they had endured in the past few minutes. Regis patted his son on his sweaty forehead.

"Get some sleep son, tomorrow, I will show you Tenebrae," Regis said, and signalled for Sylva and Ignis to leave Noctis' side. Noctis nodded sleepily, and the three left the room and Noctis behind. Ignis had the vase under his arm, carefully ensuring that the paper was held tightly onto the top of the vase, so that the mysterious cloud could not escape.

Sitting down in the room next door, Sylva, Ignis and Regis had sat down. Alongside them was Titus Drautos, the captain of the Kingsglaive, and protector of King Regis. On the table, in the middle of the four, was the vase with the mysterious cloud that had possessed Noctis. The four all looked at it, and nobody dared say anything for a long while.

Thoughts were flooding Regis' mind, as he sat and stared at the vase, hands folded on the table. Regis knew very little of what this substance was; only that it seemed connected to the legends of the Starscourge, and that it had something to do with Niflheim. Regis knew very little of the experiments which Niflheim had conducted for many years, however only that people had started to vanish, and the population of daemons all over Eos was rapidly increasing. If there was a connection, Regis was unsure, however, it seemed probable.

"Regis…" Drautos started, then paused, unsure of what to say. Scientific research in Lucis was limited, and regarding research into daemons, it was nothing that had even been considered. Within the Crown City, Daemons never appeared, due to the protection of both the New and Old Wall, as well as the Light of the Crystal. In the provinces, the Oracle put her blessings on the havens and larger cities, likewise protecting the citizens. Hence, the need for knowledge about daemons was little, thus never investigated into.

Regis stood up from his chair and went over to the vast window lighting up the room. It was a break room for the nurses and doctors working in this hospital wing, and it looked a lot less clinical than the rest of the wing. The floors were of hardwood, and on the walls, were several paintings, along with one lightboard for reading x-rays.

The thought of Niflheim having targeted his son's convoy enraged Regis. The two nations had been in heavy conflict for long already, and rarely had battles turned to Lucian favour. Niflheim was a strong nation, their military technology far more advanced than any other nation on Eos. The last clash between the two nations had forced his father, King Mors Lucis Caelum, to dissolve the Lucian Army and create the Crownsguard, which only functioned as a counter-measure to potential attacks. Never before had Niflheim targeted royalty directly, even if they had had the chance. Boiling over by this thought, Regis hammered his fist against the frame of the window.

"Niflheim has overstepped their boundaries this time…" Regis whispered, almost unhearable by even himself. He turned around and looked at his company. He lifted his left hand, on which he bore the Ring of the Lucii.

"I swear, that regardless of what it takes, we will defeat Niflheim. They have to pay for what they have done, the suffering which they have caused. To their own people, and to ours." Regis spoke, more clearly, voice raised. Drautos leaned forward in his chair.

"But, all due respect your Majesty… They are far stronger than we are…" Drautos said cautiously.

"I know!" Regis roared, almost spitting. This startled Drautos. Never before, had he been yelled at by the King, and this experience was nothing which he wished to reexperience. Regis looked down at the floor and took a deep breath to regain his composure.

"But if we do nothing, the suffering will become endless, and we will lose this war!" Regis said. "What we need, is to outsmart them. We need… We need time." Drautos stood up from his chair and walked over to his King. He put a hand on Regis' shoulder.

"Your Majesty, firstly you need to be with your son, and ensure that he recovers well. He needs you." Regis looked back at him, emotionally drained, Regis let out a groan. He was tired, and more than anything, he wished to return to his royal duties as King, and for his son to never have been attacked. Wanting revenge, Regis' judgment was blurred, and more than anything, he needed time to recover.

"You need rest, your Highness. After that, we can start to talk about business. But not until then." Drautos said and led Regis back to his chair, which he dumped down into. Both Queen Sylva and Ignis had been quiet the entire time, both were mainly concerned with ensuring that the vase's contents were not released. Regis looked at it as well.

"We need to find out what to do about… that…" Sylva said cautiously. None of them really knew what the contents were, so disposal would be difficult, as they knew nothing of what would destroy it, and if simple containment would be enough.

"Think burying it far underground would suffice?" Ignis asked her, since she was the only person in the room to have any bit of experience with daemons and Starscourge. She considered it for a moment until she slowly nodded.

"I am not sure, but… If we hide it far enough from everyone, it could minimise the chance of harm?" She suggested, looking at the others for confirmation as to if that was a promising idea or not. Considering none of the others had any better suggestions, Sylva pulled the vase closer to herself.

"Leave it to me then, I know of a place," She said. Ignis got up from his chair, bowed to both the King and Queen, and left the room, seeing that their order of business was finished. Drautos, still by his King's side, put a hand on Regis' left shoulder.

"Your Majesty, I believe it is time to get some rest."

The following day, Regis felt a lot more refreshed, after having gotten a night's undisturbed rest. Noctis was ready to get out of bed, however, his body was still weakened because of the long time he had been in a coma. As a result, Noctis was put in a wheelchair to help him get around. Once every day, Noctis would receive some physical therapy, to reactivate his muscles.

Leaving the hospital wing, Regis pushed his son towards Fenestala Manor. As promised, Regis would introduce Noctis to someone, that being Lunafreya, whom he hoped he would become friendly with. After all, she would become the reigning Oracle around the time in which Noctis would claim the throne, following Regis.

"It feels so good to be outside again!" Noctis exclaimed as the fresh air hit him. Regis chuckled and kept pushing his son forward. Eager to see whomever he was about to meet, Noctis could barely sit still. To Noctis, it felt like an endless walk up to the Manor, despite it only being a few hundred metres. As had been the case for almost their entire stay in Tenebrae, the sun was shining brightly and there were barely any clouds to see.

As the two approached Fenestala Manor, Noctis could see a girl standing beside Queen Silva outside of the main entrance. The girl waved at Noctis, smiling, flashing her teeth. Noctis waved back at her and afterwards looked up at his father.

"Is that who I'm going to meet?" Noctis asked eagerly. Regis nodded.

"That, my son, is Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, Princess of Tenebrae." He responded. Noctis looked at the girl again, and now within range of hearing, Queen Sylva walked towards the two with opened arms.

"Welcome to Fenestala Manor, Prince Noctis. How are you feeling today?" She asked, taking his hands in hers.

"Much better, thanks," Noctis said, more interested in seeing the girl who was approaching him from behind the Queen. Seeing this, Queen Sylva chuckled and stepped a bit to the side so that Lunafreya was standing before Noctis, Sylva let go of Noctis' hands and put them on Lunafreya's shoulders instead.

"This, Noctis, is my daughter, Lunafreya," She said and gently pushed Lunafreya closer to Nocits. Happily, she took Noctis' hands and shook them eagerly.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you," she said, in a sweet voice, that made it sound almost as though she was singing. The way she spoke, she sounded different from people from Lucis, as well as more mature than himself. She was a beautiful girl, Noctis had to admit, and her approach towards him made him feel welcome. Queen Sylva moved towards the entrance, and the three followed after.

"The two of you can go to Luna's room and get to know each other. I have some things which I need to speak to your father about," Sylva said, gesturing for Regis to follow her. Noctis looked at his father, slightly nervous about being left alone with Lunafreya. He sat down next to Noctis and whispered to him.

"Don't be nervous, she is a very sweet girl. I am confident that the two of you will have fun!" He said and tapped his son on the shoulder a couple of times before standing up again. Following Queen Sylva, Regis walked into a larger room up ahead, and Lunafreya and Noctis were now alone.

"Let's go upstairs," Lunafreya said and held her hand towards Noctis. Looking down at his legs, Noctis considered if it would be a good idea after all. Lunafreya saw this, and she smiled widely.

"I will help you!" She said, and took hold of both of Noctis' hands, pulling him up. Unsteady on his feet, Noctis felt as though he was about to fall over. Lunafreya grabbed him around the waist, and the two slowly walked up the stairs. A servant appeared and took the wheelchair and carried it upstairs, while Lunafreya's small hands were gently pushing Noctis forward.

"One step at a time!" She said cheerfully. With every step, Noctis seemed to get a bit steadier, but when they finally reached the top, he was incredibly exhausted. His legs could carry him, but only for short periods of time, as the muscles had lost quite a bit of mass during his time in bed. Lunafreya pushed him towards the corridor to the left of the staircase, and in through a door halfway down the corridor.

Behind the door was a vast room with large windows, which overlooked the Gardens and Ulwaat City. By each window, a set of heavy, deep blue curtains were hanging ready to shut out the light. They had golden fringes, and a golden band which held them in place. On the walls were paintings, mostly of what seemed to be divine creatures. By the window, a set of chairs framed with dark wood and covered in blue fabric, in-between a table of the same type of wood, and a vase with blue flowers. Finally, in the middle of the room was a large bed, once again framed with dark wood, and white and blue bed sheets. Over the bed hung a white cover, which could be pulled around the bed to ensure some privacy. The room looked very little like the room of a young girl, but more like that of an adult. It had no toys, unlike Noctis' room at home in Insomnia, and there were very little personal effects.

Lunafreya pushed Noctis' chair over to the bed, and she helped transfer him from the chair to the bed. She then moved the chair to the corner of her room, to then finally sit beside him on the bed. She looked at Noctis, however Noctis was too shy to look back at her. In silence, the two sat for a minute, considering each other, until Noctis finally said something.

"So… You will be an Oracle one day?" He said nervously, unsure of what else to ask her. She leaned back on her arms on the bed, still looking at Noctis.

"Yes, just like you one day will be King!" She answered cheerfully. Knowing very little of what an Oracle did, Noctis leaned back so he was lying beside her again.

"But… What does an Oracle do?"

"An Oracle is charged with communing with the Astrals on behalf of mankind. We help people who are ill, and we help protect against danger through prayers and blessings," Lunafreya explained. "In ancient times, the First Oracle was gifted her powers from the Astral of Light, to speak with the Gods for mankind, and to aid in protecting the Crystal." Noctis considered her words for a moment.

"Wait, so the Crystal came from the Gods?" Lunafreya took out a book from underneath her bed. It was a blue book, not very thick, and it had the words "Cosmogony" on its cover. Underneath the text was a drawing of a winged man, who handed a crystal to another man, who seemed to be a King of sorts. The winged man was dressed all in black, his attire seemed as though an armour. The King seemed dressed down in comparison, covered by a white cape, his black hair flowing down between his shoulders. A bit into the background, a woman holding a trident could be seen. She was wearing a white dress, and in her left hand, she held a large bouquet of blue flowers.

"Yes. The Crystal was gifted to mankind, that we might know lasting prosperity." She said, as she looked at the cover of the book. Noctis looked down at it, considering what he saw.

"But… If the Crystal belongs to everyone, how come only Lucis gets to use it?" He wondered, thinking back to how his father appeared to be the only person he could think of, who knew how to wield its power. Lunafreya put her hands in her lap and looked out of the windows as she spoke.

"The Kings of Lucis do not simply use its power, they also protect it."

"Wait, so my dad is guarding it?" Lunafreya nodded, smiling. Noctis put his hands to his head and laid down on his back, astonished.

"I had no idea!" he exclaimed, looking up at the ceiling. Lunafreya laid down beside him, her left hand supporting her head, so that she could still look at Noctis. She chuckled, as she realised he was still trying to process what she had just told him. Now, things started to make a lot more sense to Noctis. That is why his father had fought so hard to protect Insomnia from the outsiders. That is why there are certain parts of the Citadel which nobody, but his father, had access to.

"But what is the Crystal for then? Why is it so important that we must protect it?" Noctis asked Lunafreya.

"To crown the King of Light is the calling of the Crystal. And to keep the Crystal safe, until that day, falls on the Line of Lucis." Noctis considered her words, astonished to know now, what being the King of Lucis meant; One day, a King of Lucis would be chosen by the Crystal.

"Who is the King of Light? What does he do?" Noctis asked. She took a deep breath before she responded.

"Well, only the True King, anointed by the Crystal, can purge our Star of its Scourge." She said, making small gestures with her hands. Noctis could tell, that Lunafreya had really studied the history of their planet.

"But who is the Chosen?" Noctis asked, "Has the True King been chosen yet?" Lunafreya nodded, looking a bit more intensely at Noctis. He seemed to get the gist of what she meant.

"Me?" he asked, and she nodded again. Flabbergasted, Noctis laid down again. "You really think I can do that? I'm not even King yet…"

"As Oracle, I shall see to it," She said, and held Noctis's hand, as though vowing to him, that she would do whatever it required. "To aid the King, is the Oracle's calling. And one day, you will be King, and when the time comes, you will acquire the full power of the Crystal, and save our world." Noctis considered it for a moment, looking out at the blue sky. He pulled his hand to himself again, and looked down at it, playing around with his fingers. Still a bit unsure as to what his duty as the Chosen King was, and even unsure as to how Lunafreya could know this, when he had never even been near the Crystal, Noctis looked at her again.

"Then… I guess I can do it. I won't let you down!" Noctis said determinately. Lunafreya gave him a sense of security, and knowing that it would be her duty as Oracle to assist him, he felt happy that they could talk so easily with each other.

"I know you won't," Lunafreya said, smiling. As she had finished, the door behind them opened, and in came one of Lunafreya's servants.

"Prince, Princess, there are refreshments waiting for you downstairs," he said as he bowed for them. Lunafreya nodded and dismissed him, and she got up from the bed. She took the book in her hands, and extended it towards Noctis.

"Here, you can borrow this. Then, you can get to know some more of the history of Eos and the Astrals," She said and smiled, handing it to Noctis.

After a bit of a struggle, Lunafreya had helped Noctis downstairs, so they could join their parents in the dining room. At each their own end of the table sat their parents, and in between them, two seats for Noctis and Lunafreya were ready. The table was filled with all sorts of food which Noctis had never tasted before; a large flank of meat, surrounded by prepared vegetables, bowls with all kinds of sauces and salads, and in the very middle of the table towered an arrangement with small cakes which smelled incredible. Sitting down, Noctis was eager to try the cakes, but as he reached for one, he caught glimpse of his father who looked displeased at him, and by this, he pulled his hand back down underneath the table.

Lunafreya reached for the salad, and most of her plate was filled with vegetables, and only very little meat. It was the direct opposite on Noctis' plate; all the meat he could take without his father's disapproving stare in his direction, leaving only a small room for vegetables on his plate. In silence, the four sat and ate. Both the Queen and King sat and considered each other, without ever getting eyecontact, meanwhile the Prince and Princess sat and smiled and giggled at each other, looking through the small gaps in between the cakes. Every now and then, Noctis would make a funny face at Lunafreya, when she grabbed a mouthful of salad.

Having finished his plate of food, however the salad left completely untouched, a servant took his plate. Now, Noctis could finally reach for the cakes, without his father's disapproving glare. In his hand, it felt soft, and the white sugar stuck to his fingers. As Noctis took a bite, a familiar sweet, and slightly sour, taste exploded in his mouth, and combined with the pastry, it made for the best dessert Noctis had ever tasted.

"So, Noctis, are you looking forward to returning to Insomnia?" Queen Sylva asked, as she cut a small piece of the cake with her fork. Noctis, already on his fifth cake, swallowed his bite and put the cake down on his plate.

"I like it better here; the food is better!" Noctis said, looking down at the cake. Both his father and Queen Sylva chuckled. Noctis looked at his father. "Maybe we can get the recipe and teach the cook how to make this?!"

"Before you leave, I will ensure that the cook writes it down for you," Queen Sylva said. And with this, the four of them finished their cakes. Noctis wrapped a couple of cakes in his napkin and put them in his pocket. As they got up from their chairs, and Noctis was back in the wheelchair, Lunafreya came over and whispered in Noctis' ear.

"I have something I want to show you!" and she started to push his wheelchair towards the main entrance of the Manor. Outside, the sun had started to set over the horizon, visible in between the floating mountains of Tenebrae. Lunafreya pushed Noctis around the right side of the Manor, and down a path, which led toward vast fields. The grass was tall, and the field was filled with Sylleblossoms. From behind, Noctis could hear dogs playing. He looked over his shoulder, past Lunafreya, and saw a snow-white dog, and a dark-furred dog play in the tall grass. Lunafreya caught his glimpse.

"That is Umbra and Pryna, my two dogs," she said and stopped pushing. They came over to Noctis and looked at him, considering him for a moment. Noctis petted the two, and they clearly enjoyed the attention. Unable to see where they had stopped, Noctis looked at Lunafreya.

"Where are we?" He asked. Lunafreya walked around, her hands moving through the strands of grass.

"The fields behind our Manor. I come here every time I need to think, to be myself." She said. She looked up at the sky, the few clouds were glowing pink in the last rays of the sun. "Sometimes, I need to get away from everyone else, all the expectations they have of me." Noctis nodded, he understood how she felt. He had the same sense of calm every time he was in the Regalia, and it was the only place in which he could sleep well. When he was smaller, his father would always take him for a drive, as the sound of the low motor humming, helped calm Noctis' mind and lull him to sleep.

"Luna…?" Noctis asked. Still eyes closed, she let out a sound to signal that she was listening.

"How did you know… That I'm the Chosen King?" Noctis asked carefully. Lunafreya looked at him.

"Well… As I said, Oracles can speak to the Gods when necessary. The Gods speak to mankind through their Messengers, and my family has been granted the blessing of the presence of such a Messenger, ever since I was born," Lunafreya explained. Noctis said nothing in response, as everything in relation to the Gods of Eos was still very new to him. He had never learned about this from his father, and so he knew not what to ask her about them.

"It is nothing you need to worry about now," Lunafreya said, sensing that Noctis had become a little confused by all the things she had told him today. "We have a bit of time before you have to return to Insomnia, I can tell you more, should you so wish."

In the following days, Noctis and Lunafreya spent many hours together, as his father and Queen Sylva were working on their royal duties. Rarely had Noctis ever had so much fun, and he felt as though he and Lunafreya were becoming great friends.

One afternoon, Noctis had been left to himself in Lunafreya's room, as she had some things she needed to attend to. Meanwhile, Noctis had attempted to read in the book which Lunafreya had lent him, yet he found it a lot more difficult to understand, than when Lunafreya explained its contents to him. As a result, he had fallen asleep in his wheelchair. Some time after, he had woken up as a ray of sunshine shone in his face, and soon after he found that he was no longer alone in the room, something which startled Noctis.

In front of him, in one of the armchairs by the round table, Noctis saw a woman with dark hair. Her eyes were closed, and she wore something which looked a white shoal over her shoulders, and a long, heavy kimono of sorts over her body. Her face was turned towards Noctis, but her eyes were kept shut.

"Ah, the young prince is recovering well," She said as she stood up from the chair. She spoke with a slight accent, not like that of Lunafreya and her mother. Noctis was unsure of who she was.

"Gentiana, a Messenger," she said, answering his unspoken question. Her hands were folded in front of her abdomen. Noctis kept looking at her, closing the book which was still lying open in his lap. He looked down at it, reminded about it as his left hand stopped supporting his head, and instead fell on top of the book.

"The prince has read of our kind?" she asked. Noctis kept trying to remember anything which Lunafreya had told him about the Messengers of the Gods.

"I tried to, but I only know what Luna told me," he answered, holding up the book. Gentiana nodded, her red lips curling into a smile.

"Lady Lunafreya," She said in a gentle voice, "It is heartening to see that the future King and the Oracle enjoy such familiarity. The fate of our world may depend on it." And with these words, she opened her eyes for the first time, and Noctis was astonished by the sight of them. They were dark, yet so beautiful that Noctis was kept in a trance, looking at them. He lowered the book from his face, and with an open mouth he kept looking at the bizarre woman who stood in front of him. She was graceful in every sense of the word.

The door behind Noctis opened, and he looked backwards to see who came in. It was Lunafreya. Noctis turned around again, to look at Gentiana, but she had disappeared. Noctis looked back at Lunafreya, who approached him from the door, Umbra and Pryna following closely behind her. As she came closer, she saw that Noctis was a bit pale.

"Are you alright, Noct?" She asked as she finally reached him. Noctis nodded and looked at the chair in which Gentiana had just been sitting.

"Where did she go?" Noctis asked, confused. He had just looked away for a brief moment, and suddenly she was gone. Had he been dreaming?

"Who?" Lunafreya asked.

"Gentiana," Noctis replied. Lunafreya took a step back and smiled. She sat down on her bed, and tapped her hand on the bed, signalling for Noctis to join her. Having gotten stronger, Noctis could easily walk shorter distances, so he stood up from the wheelchair and slowly walked over and sat down.

"You met her? She is nice, is she not?" Lunafreya asked him. Noctis nodded, still not convinced he had actually met her.

"Is it true that she's a Messenger?" Noctis asked. While that would help explain her sudden disappearance, it left so many new questions inside of Noctis' head. Lunafreya nodded.

"She is, but it is none of your concern now. I have something else I want to show you," She said and climbed down from the bed and fetched something from underneath her bed. After having searched for a moment, she pulled out and sat on her knees, a red book in her hands. On the cover was a golden image of flowers and birds flying. She looked at it for a moment and put it in Noctis' lap. He looked at its cover for a moment, and then he opened it. The first page was blank, except from a blue flower which had been stuck to the page, using a golden wax seal.

"Nice flower!" Noctis exclaimed as he let his fingers run carefully over the flower. It was dried, yet the colours were very well preserved.

"It's the same kind we sewed our crowns from! The Sylleblossoms" she said. Looking down at the book, she continued. "So… I have a favour to ask. Take the notebook with you when you go." Noctis closed the notebook and put it on the bed beside him.

"Sure!"

"But that's not all. I want you to put something in the book, and send it back. Umbra will be there to collect it when you are ready," She said, looking down at the sleeping dogs. Noctis wondered for a moment how Umbra would be able to know where he was, and when it was time to collect the notebook, however decided not to think too much about it. Many of the people and creatures which Lunafreya surrounded herself with, seemed beside the ordinary. Noctis smiled at this thought.

"Luna!" Queen Sylva's voice echoed through the Manor. "It is time!" Lunafreya stood up from the floor and let a hand out towards Noctis. He took it, and she helped him over to the wheelchair.

Downstairs, King Regis and Queen Sylva were waiting, along with a boy whom Noctis had not yet met. However, judging from his appearance, he would be Tenebraean as well.

"That, is my brother, Ravus," Lunafreya told Noctis as they slowly came down the stairs. His hair was even lighter than that of Lunafreya, bordering on being just as white as Pryna's fur. His eyes were just as blue as Lunafreya's, yet appeared less welcoming than hers.

"Are you two ready to head out?" Queen Sylva asked, and both Noctis and Lunafreya nodded. Lunafreya insisted on continuing to push Noctis' wheelchair on the journey, as they headed along the very same path that had led Noctis and Lunafreya out into the Sylleblossom fields the week prior. This time however, they continued along, until they reached a meadow far into the forest. It was a beautiful scenery, quite closely looking like something that had belonged in Noctis' Dream World. Waterfalls were protruding from small rivers that curved through the forest. The meadow was quite large, and above them was a large gap between the crowns of the trees, which allowed for the midday sun to shine its light upon them. Small white flowers grew in the grass, and berry bushes were to be found along the sides of the meadow.

Noctis and Lunafreya walked a bit further behind the others, and thus reached the far end of the meadow a while after the others. They did not speak, however, both Noctis and Lunafreya were very keen on taking in everything they saw and smelled around them. The freshness of the river water, and the sound of the water splashing from the waterfall, accompanied by the chirping of birds dancing in the air.

As the two came nearer to the others, Lunafreya looked up, and between the crowns of the trees, a dark airship could be seen to descend from high above. She kept looking at it, unsure if to say something, Noctis followed her gaze. The wind caused by the engines of the airship got stronger, and quickly, the sound of the waterfalls became quelled by the engines.

King Regis came running towards his son and grabbed Lunafreya by the hand, and started making for the path from which they had originally come. Soldiers started coming down from above, and yelling and gunshots quickly started to fill their ears. Several Imperial soldiers walked quickly ahead of the others, and with flamethrowers, lit the meadow ablaze. Amidst their running, Queen Sylva and her son, Ravus, fell behind. Looking around, Regis realised that Queen Sylva had vanished from his side, and looked back. She was running towards the Imperial General, who held her son's arm in his hand, sword raised to his throat.

"Noctis, Luna, stay hidden over there," King Regis said, pointing towards a small gap in between the trees. Lunafreya pushed Noctis away from his father, and towards the gap. Regis extended his right arm, and in his hand, was now his sword. A beautifully crafted weapon, the long blade shimmering in the light from the fire. Regis ran towards the Queen and her son, who were both standing amidst the tall flames. The heat was incredible, and Regis could not get any closer than where he was, without being set aflame.

From this position, King Regis could see that the General had let go of Ravus, and instead taken the Queen. The General saw that Regis was standing, observing them, unable to do anything, and while looking in his direction, the General raised his sword. The Queen had her eyes closed, lips moving and hands folded in prayer, her son screaming from behind her. Then, the General's sword bore its way through the Queen's chest, and almost reached Ravus who was on his knees behind her, face contorted in pain as he witnessed his mother's death. The Queen fell backwards as the General withdrew his sword from her dying body, and the Queen was left beside her son, gasping for her last breath. All sound but his own rapid heartbeat seemed to have vanished for the King, as the General was now headed towards him, slowly speeding as he came closer.

The General once again raised his sword, ready to strike the King. Regis got ready to fight, and with his feet placed solidly on the ground, Regis could parry the enemy attack. However, as the two had their swords against each other, Regis could easily feel, that his enemy was physically stronger. He closed his eyes, and soon after, the crystal on the Ring of the Lucii started to glow brightly, and an incredible strength flowed through Regis' veins, burning its way to every capillary in his body. With an immense power, Regis pushed the General away, sending him flying towards the other end of the meadow. Seemingly having weakened his enemy, Regis saw his fit to leave and get his son someplace safe.

As he walked towards the gap between the trees, Lunafreya approached the King. Her cape was torn in one side, and her dress had started to tear at its bottom. Her usual composure had worn off, and instead, a scared girl was standing before Regis, fearing for her mother and brother's life.

"Where are they?" She asked, almost pleading. Regis looked at the scared girl for a moment, until he turned around and looked towards the flames. In between them, Regis could see Imperial soldiers had started to surround the grieving Ravus, who still sat with his mother's dead body in his arms. Lunafreya started to walk towards her brother, having seen the despair he was left in, but Regis grabbed hold of her arm.

"We need to get you someplace safe, Princess, we cannot afford to lose more lives to the Empire. Not today," Regis said, almost pleading, but Lunafreya decisively shook his hand off. She straightened her back, and with great determination, she looked back at him, with a hint of anger in her eyes and voice.

"I will not leave my brother in Imperial hands. Not without anyone by his side." and she walked towards him, her cape flowing behind her. She walked through the flames and joined her brother. Now, the Imperial soldiers were busy taking care of them, and seeing that Regis had nothing more he could do to help them, he turned around and made for his son, who was waiting where Lunafreya had left him. Unable to say goodbye to his friend, Noctis was quickly in his father's arms, and the two slipped out of the meadow.

As they reached the overlook by Fenestala Manor, King Regis realised, that this had not merely been an attack on the royalty. It was an Imperial siege of Tenebrae. From each city in Tenebrae, a dark smoke was rising towards the sky, as fires ravaged the homes of the citizens. It was a grim image which Regis and his son stood in front of, which almost brought tears to Regis' eyes. This could just as easily have been his own citizens that were being robbed from their homes and families. He had to find a way out of Tenebrae, so that he could get his son back home to Insomnia, where he would be able to protect his son and devise a plan so that once and for all, the Empire could be defeated.


	5. Chapter Four

Following the Imperial Siege of Tenebrae, the King of Lucis had kept to himself, away from everyone. Now, in isolation, King Regis would rarely leave his throne. Most of his advisors were under heavy surveillance, to monitor potential connections to the Niflheim Empire, in an attempt at finding the mole. The word of the King's paranoia had quickly spread beyond the walls of the Citadel, and now, with the increased amount of monitoring, the King's protective efforts of his citizens were deteriorating. The Citadel was now closed off for the public – previously, schools had been permitted to visit, due to the amount of historical artwork of Eos that was to be found on its walls, but now, all of that had ended. Niflheim should have no easy means of getting to the King, his son or the Crystal, so the King saw these efforts as necessary.

Even his own son was barely granted an opportunity to see his father, considering King Regis' constant presence in the Hall of the Throne. Once again abandoned by his father, Noctis had become just as isolated from others as his father had. As per the King's orders, Noctis had started combat training, a necessary evil, his father had reckoned. It would only be a matter of time before Imperial troops would attempt to siege Insomnia as well, and Noctis would have to be prepared. Besides, seeing that Niflheim was even more keen on ridding the King of his life, it would only be a matter of time before Noctis would have to be prepared to take matters into his own hands.

It was Noctis' tenth birthday, a Saturday. Having had no schooling, Noctis had spent most of the day training with his new combat tutor, Gladiolus Amicitia. Despite only being three years older than Noctis, Gladiolus was already training for the Crownsguard. He was the second youngest to do so, only beaten by Cor Leonis, who was a few months younger than Gladiolus at the time where he joined the Crownsguard.

Gladiolus would, using his knowledge from training, teach Noctis the basics of combat. The Amicitia family had for generations been the providers of personal protection to the Kings of Lucis; Gladiolus' father, Clarus Amicitia, had been King Regis' Shield, and since become part of his Counsel. It was only later on, that Noctis would learn to wield the power of the Crystal, like his father, and now the Kingsglaive, did.

Deep-in-thought, Noctis was caught off-guard by Gladiolus, and received a heavy hit to his back with the wooden sword they were training with. Noctis fell to the ground. Despite wearing proper protection, the shockwave the sword sent through the plates nevertheless sent heavy pain through Noctis' back and into his chest, which took Noctis' breath away.

"You can do better than that," Gladiolus said in a firm tone, towering over Noctis, as he sat on the ground. The light shone into the room through the windows placed just under the ceiling. The room was littered with several types of training dummies and weapons, including polearms and shields. It was a large room, and unlike most of the other parts of the Citadel, it was not showered in dark colours, however, by the warm colours of wood.

Noctis picked up the sword and charged at Gladiolus, sword raised above his head. Displaying no effort whatsoever, Gladiolus dodged Noctis' attack and hit Noctis, once again, in the back, knocking him over.

"Again." Noctis looked over his shoulder at Gladiolus, who was patiently waiting for him to get on his feet. Annoyance was bubbling inside Noctis. Already on-edge because soon, he would eat dinner with his father for the first time in months, Noctis had lost his patience with his trainer.

"No," Noctis said and got on his feet, leaving the sword on the floor, and started to make for the door. Gladiolus looked after Noctis not pleased with the Prince's apparent inattentiveness. "It's dinner time." Noctis stood in the door. With a determinant arm movement, he opened it and left. Gladiolus was left in the room to clean up after their session, to then later observe the dinner between Noctis and King Regis.

"That stuck-up Prince. He'll never be a proper King with that attitude…" Gladiolus mumbled to himself as he placed their wooden swords in the basket in the corner of the room. In a few hours, he would be home again, to see his little sister Iris. The thought of her laugh as they played together put a small smile on his lips, and gave Gladiolus the will to push on through his workday.

Inside the dining room, Noctis and the King sat at each their end of the table in silence, poking to the food on their plates. King Regis kept looking at his son to find something to talk about, while Noctis kept avoiding eye-contact with his father. Eager to break the silence, King Regis cleared his throat.

"So… How are your classes?" Regis asked as he cut another piece of his steak. Clearly, he expected an in-depth answer from his son, as he put it into his mouth and slowly chewed it.

"Fine." Noctis replied, as he kept pushing the carrots on his plate around. He had run out of steak. Regis looked at his son, head tilted slightly to the left, slightly annoyed with his reply. However, he would not give up so easily, and decided to push on.

"Our definitions of 'fine' aren't the same, you know… But, as long as you are content…" Regis replied. Yet, receiving no response, Regis' eyebrows moved closer together with annoyance. Clearly, their time apart had once again torn a hole in the former good relationship the two had enjoyed. After a few minutes, Regis cleared his throat again.

"You… didn't eat your carrots?" Noctis pushed them aside once more, and put his fork on the plate with a loud noise.

"I hate carrots." Regis looked towards the window overlooking the courtyard, thinking back to Noctis' first day of school, and how much their friendship had become cold. From the corner of his eye, Regis could see Gladiolus looking at Noctis, a displeased expression on his face. Regis shook it off and looked back to his son.

"Thanks for dinner," Noctis said and left the room, leaving Regis looking longingly after his son. The door closed behind Noctis with a loud thud, and Regis sighed.

"Leave," Regis said to Gladiolus and the other Crownsguard in the room. They bowed to him and left quietly. In the flickering light from the candle on the table, Regis put his hand on his forehead and sighed in despair.

"I'm sorry, Aulea. I should be there for our son, but I can't. I fear…" Regis started, but his voice failed him. He slammed his fist in the table and tears started to force their way out of his eyes. Regis stood up and walked over to the window, and put a hand on the cold glass. Outside, darkness was slowly veiling the Crown City.

"I'm not sure what to do anymore," Regis whispered to his own reflection. A grey hair shimmered in the light. Despite being just thirty-nine, Regis had in the later time aged greatly in appearance. He barely recognised himself anymore, everyone had become estranged to him, even the person in his life who mattered the most to him.

In the other end of the Crown City, Gladiolus had just returned to the Amicitia Residence. It was a home quite unlike the Citadel; it was evident, that within the four walls of their home, tender love was shown. Family pictures were covering the walls, and freshly cut roses were placed on the end tables. Carita Amicitia was a decorator for many of the Crown City's more respected families, and she was known for always catching the very essence of the people she was decorating for. She was a loving mother, but she always stuck to the background at home, constantly researching new methods for decorating. Alongside her job, she took care of Iris daily, and often even brought her along to see her clients. Iris was also a very creative person, often drawing, and in recent days, she had started to practice sewing. She was seven years younger than Gladiolus, yet despite their vast age difference, the two got along very well, and oftentimes played together. And this evening was no different.

Iris had brought several dolls to the living room, and was eager to play with Gladiolus. However, she could sense that something was up with him.

"That stuck-up Prince!" Gladiolus exclaimed as he dropped down on the sofa in the middle of the living room. Iris approached her brother and dropped the dolls on the sofa next to him. She was wearing a black dress.

"Ha! You said something mean! I will tell papa!" She yelled and laughed, pointing at her brother. Gladiolus looked at her and gave a cheeky smile. He extended his arms towards her.

"Iris…" He said and grabbed her under the arms and lifted her up onto the sofa, and started tickling her. Soon, the entire room was filled with the joyful sound of Iris' laughter, and from the top of the stairs, Carita could be seen peeking at the two from the door to her office.

"Welcome home, Gladio," Carita said. She was proud that her son would follow in his father's footsteps, and serve for the King in the Crownsguard. The phone rang from her office, and she disappeared again, leaving Iris and Gladiolus sitting on the sofa, Iris breathless from laughing.

"Do… Do you really hate him?" Iris asked. Gladiolus sighed and fell back into the sofa.

"Yeah, I hate that spineless brat from the bottom of my heart."

"But… Aren't you supposed to protect him, like papa?"

"If it was King Regis, then I would. There's no way I'll protect that little brat!" he said and put a hand on his stomach, to then realise he was hungry. Iris studied her brother as he laid on the sofa.

"Are there any leftovers from dinner?" Gladiolus asked, and Iris shook her head. Gladiolus grunted and went into the kitchen and opened one of the cabinets and found some Cup Noodles. He opened the package and started boiling some water. Looking around the refrigerator, he found some pre-cooked prawn and vegetables, which he diced and added to the Cup. Five minutes later, Gladiolus sat in the living room with his sister once again, and when he tasted the noodles, he expressed a satisfied grunt.

"Is there… Any chance that I can meet Noctis?" Iris asked carefully. Gladiolus stopped filling his mouth with noodles, and after he had swallowed he looked at Iris.

"Why would you want to meet him?" Iris looked down a moment, her cheeks blushing.

"I just… Want to…" She said, whispering. Gladiolus sighed.

"Maybe, I can't promise anything. Now, go to bed!" Gladiolus said, and continued with his noodles. He found a large chunk of prawn, which he instantly put in his mouth. Iris jumped down from the sofa and hugged her brother before she turned around and headed for the stairs.

"Good night Gladio!" She said, smiling.

The following morning, Gladiolus was again set to observe the Prince as he ate his breakfast, to then later in the afternoon practice more with him. A set of duties, which he never looked forward to. The Prince ate his breakfast alone, and in silence. His usual company, Ignis Scientia, who was just a year younger than Gladiolus, had taken some extra classes in cooking, and attended such class this morning. The door next to Gladiolus opened, and one of the Crownsguard initiates whom Gladiolus trained with, poked his head in.

"Gladio… Can I borrow you for a sec?" He asked, and Gladiolus nodded and followed.

The two walked out to the Reception area, which was lying just inside of the Citadel's entrance. It was a grand room, which had several service desks, by which receptionists sat and received calls, and, before the King's paranoia had come to be, they also received the students who came to see the historical artworks. Along the middle of the room were six tall pillars, on which several different statues stood, each one representing one of The Six. High above, large windows let in the sun's rays of light, which lit up the reception.

Looking ahead, Gladiolus saw one of the receptionists was on her knees.

"Iris!" Gladiolus exclaimed and ran over to her, angry that she had left home, crossed the City, to then enter the Citadel on her own. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Noct!" She said, holding her teddybear. Gladiolus put a hand to his forehead, irritated that his sister had taken his 'maybe' the previous evening, as an open invitation to come see Noctis.

"You know you can't…"

"What! But you see him ALL the time!" She interrupted Gladiolus, clearly not understanding the difference between the two.

"Iris, it is my job to see to him!" Iris started stomping the ground in anger. King Regis' retainer took a deep breath, and a quick look at his pocket watch. He looked down at Iris, and smiled.

"Shall I… Ask for an audience with the Prince, miss?" Almost not believing her ears, Iris started screaming at the retainer's proposition, and in place, she started jumping and dancing. Gladiolus got even more embarrassed by his sister's performance, and, in no time, he rushed her off to one of the smaller conference rooms down one of the corridors attached to the Reception.

In the middle of the room was a large, round table and six chairs. Along the wall to the left of the door, was a black sofa, onto which Iris sat down. Behind the table was a wall filled with large windows which overlooked the Citadel Gardens. Gladiolus stayed in the door.

"Now, stay here, Iris. They will ask the Prince to see you now," he said, looking at Iris with a raised finger, warning her to do as he said.

"Where will you go?" Gladiolus sighed.

"Back to work." He said and closed the door. Iris looked back out of the window again, as the door was slammed open, causing Iris to jump in her seat. It was Gladiolus again. Iris looked at him, confused. He narrowed his eyes and looked at her suspiciously, to then close the door again, and this time, he left.

Iris sat and kicked her legs out in the air, growing tired of waiting for the slow Prince. She started walking around the conference room. Along the walls were cabinets, which Iris attempted to open, however, they were locked. She stomped her left foot in the ground in irritation, and turned around towards the windows again to look at the flowers. There was a glass door that led into the gardens, and Iris tried the handle. The door opened with a low squeaking sound, and she giggled. Looking behind her to see if Gladiolus was in the door, she snug out into the gardens.

In-between the flowerbeds, Iris was now jumping excitedly around, picking some of the purple ones every time she saw one, considering purple was her favourite colour. When picking her fourth flower, a cat strolled by a few metres away. Iris looked at it for a moment.

"Hi mister Cat!" she said and waved at it. The cat looked at her, and frightened, it ran away, further into the gardens. Iris giggled and decided to follow.

It was a struggle to move between all the bushes, but after a couple of minutes, she reached a small pond with a bench.

On the path which went along the sides of the Citadel, Noctis and his current caretaker walked, heading towards the very conference room which Iris had just left. He was wearing his usual black attire. Noctis, from the corner of his eye, saw Iris running between the bushes, and curiously he stopped and looked at her for a second, before she disappeared again. The caretaker noticed and stopped a couple metres ahead of Noctis, only to see Noctis head towards the gardens, in Iris' direction.

"Prince Noctis, where are you going?" she yelled after him, worried that Noctis not showing up for the meeting would cause her trouble.

"I'm going for a walk!" he yelled over his shoulder and waved at her, and quickly, he, too, vanished between the bushes.

Unable to see where the girl had gone, Noctis kept pushing forwards, until he reached the glass which kept the Gardens separate from the outside. He followed along it for a few moments, until he reached the window which he sometimes used to escape the Citadel and his royal duties. Looking around to see if he could locate the girl, he crawled through the window.

Outside, the Crown City was veiled in the sun's peach-coloured light. Noctis could not see the girl anywhere.

"Hey!" He yelled, hoping that the girl could hear him and respond. He waited for a second. Nothing. Noctis grunted, and decided to go left, down the stairs and towards the park which he knew would be a few hundred metres further down the path.

All around, Noctis could see people that were returning from work, with bags of groceries tucked under their arms. However, the girl was nowhere to be found, and the last amount of daylight was quickly vanishing behind the tall buildings. Noctis yelled again, but once more, there was no response, only people turning around to look at him. Some, took a second glance at him. Noctis however, ignored them.

Finally, Noctis reached the park. Having started to search between the trees, small drops of rain fell to the ground.

"Great…" Noctis said to himself, and moved on. A few minutes later, when the rain had started pouring down, Noctis heard a low whimper from a bit further ahead. He sped into a run, and, finally, he found the girl. She was sitting on the ground, shivering from cold, sobbing.

"Hey!" Noctis said and rushed over to her, and put his vest over her, hoping it would help her feel a bit warmer. The girl embraced Noctis, her cold, wet hands on his back made Noctis shiver. Her face buried in Noctis' chest, the girl continued crying.

"Come on, let's head back!" Noctis said, hoping that the two could hurry home and get warm. He would not want neither her, nor himself, to get sick. Noctis held her hands now, and looked her in the eyes. They were brown, just like her hair, and they reminded him of a certain someone. Who, he could not recollect in that instant.

"What's your name?" Noctis asked her warmly.

"Iris… Do you know the way back?" Iris asked him, seemingly anxious. Noctis nodded and smiled to her.

"I know the way. Sometimes I come here to play, when I need to get away from the Citadel," Noctis said and chuckled. Iris' eyes grew bigger, and she dropped her jaw.

"Even… Even though you're the Prince?" She said, not believing her own ears. Noctis nodded again, a big smile on his face, which made Iris blush.

"Even though I'm the Prince! But… That exit, that will be our little secret, okay?" Noctis said and moved closer to her, winking. Iris, honoured to now have a secret with the Prince, whom she adored so much, smiled all over her face. Until, she was reminded that returning to the Citadel would very likely result in a feud with her brother.

"My brother will be so mad at me…" She said and looked down at the ground, once again, tears started rolling down her cheeks. Noctis wiped some of them off her face with his thumb.

"Your brother?"

"Gladio…" Noctis was surprised. This was the sister of his combat trainer. Now, Noctis felt sorry for Iris, considering the nuisance Gladiolus was to Noctis, he could only imagine what Iris went through at home. However, Noctis' disliking of Gladiolus should certainly not be something that Iris could feel. Noctis stood up again, and let go of one of her hands.

"Let's head back, I'm sure it won't be that bad," Noctis said and smiled down at Iris, who held Noctis' hand even tighter, now that they had to navigate the uneven terrain in darkness. Occasionally, Iris stumbled over some loose rocks and roots, however, Noctis was always ready to catch her. Iris could not help but think, that despite all the trouble that she had gone through, not to mention the impending trouble, this had very likely been the best day of her life, and the walk back to the Citadel should never have to end.

"Noctis?" Iris asked, as they reached the stairs in front of the Citadel.

"Yes?"

"Can I… Come visit you again, soon?" Iris asked, kicking the ground a little. Noctis once again kneeled before her, so he could be level with her.

"Any time you like, if you remember to make an agreement with your brother, first," Noctis said. Iris nodded excitedly and hugged Noctis again.

"I promise!" she squealed, and the two went inside, where, King Regis' retainer was waiting, alongside Noctis' caretaker. They had hot towels ready for the two. Seemingly, they had been waiting for quite a while.

"Prince Noctis!" The caretaker exclaimed in relief, happy that the Prince had returned. The Retainer bowed and left in a rush, likely to inform the King that his son had returned. The caretaker rushed over to them with the towels, and quickly started to dab Iris' clothes dry.

"We were so worried!" The caretaker said, almost scolding Noctis and Iris' carelessness. "Gladiolus is out in town looking for the two of you, it is only a matter of time before – "she said and was interrupted by the glass doors to the entrance being swung open. In came a soaked, furious Gladiolus. When he saw Iris, at first, he seemed relieved, but then, with rapid, furious movements, he approached.

"Iris! Where were you?" He yelled from the top of his lungs, which frightened Iris. Her eyes started tearing up, and in sheer fright, she said nothing, which clearly set Gladiolus off even more. "Say something!" he yelled.

"Fall down, Gladiolus. What is going on?" King Regis came in from the Hall of the Throne, behind him, his retainer. Gladiolus quickly changed his mood and bowed for his King.

"I am sorry, your Majesty. My sister disappeared and caused an uproar in the Citadel – "Gladiolus began, now in a soberer tone. However, he was interrupted by Noctis.

"It wasn't Iris' fault," Noctis began. Gladiolus looked at him furiously, but let him go on. "I went outside earlier, to play, and I asked Iris to come along." With this, Iris looked at Noctis, surprised. She opened her mouth to say something, but Gladiolus stared her down, trying to keep her from saying anything. This was now a matter between the King and Noctis.

"You are a child of royalty. Do you understand, that you are in no position to leave the Citadel, without notifying anyone?" King Regis said. His voice was calm, but his tone was firm, not giving any chance of misinterpreting what he meant with his words.

"Yes, sir," Noctis responded. King Regis nodded and looked down at his son.

"You are grounded, until you have learned to act responsibly," King Regis said. Noctis nodded, gave Iris a tiny smile, and left the reception area to head to his room. King Regis turned towards Gladiolus.

"I apologise for my son's behaviour. I am happy that Iris has returned safely," he said and shook hands with Gladiolus. In silence, Gladiolus got Iris ready to leave the Citadel, handing back her teddy bear, which she had forgotten in the conference room. Without a word, the two went home in the car, which King Regis had ordered for them.

Back in the Amicitia residence, Gladiolus spent some time training, before he went to bed. Iris was brushing her teeth and getting ready for bed. Both their parents were not home. Most often, it was only their mother who spent time at home on a regular basis, seeing that a clear majority of her work could be done remotely. However, their father, was only home every so often, when his royal duties were minimal. In recent days, those times were few, considering the increasing threat from the Niflheim Empire.

Having finished brushing her teeth, Iris came walking down the stairs in her pink pyjamas, and her teddy bear under her arm. Gladiolus' breathing was heavy as he continued with his push-ups. Iris was hesitating slightly as she walked closer, and Gladiolus noticed from the corner of his eye. He stopped, and considered her for a moment.

"What's wrong, Iris?" He asked. And with that, she broke into tears again. With difficulty, she tried to explain, trying to catch her breath between her sobs.

"Noctis is in trouble and it is all my fault. He didn't do anything, I did…" she finally said. Gladiolus looked at her.

"What do you mean?" He asked, in a more furious tone than he had intended. Now crying even more, Iris came running over to her sweaty brother and hugged him.

"I followed a cat out of the Citadel. Noctis saved me. He didn't do anything wrong!" she howled. Gladiolus hugged her back and caressed her hair, trying to calm her down. Uncertain of what to say to her, he just kept trying to comfort her for a few minutes, until her breathing was steady once again. He looked down at her, and she had fallen asleep in his arms. Despite it still being quite early for her to go to sleep, Gladiolus felt that she was exhausted from her visit to the Citadel. Unsure of what to do with the information Iris had just given him, he put her to bed and continued with his training, before he would also go to sleep.

The following day, Noctis was forced to stay back in the Citadel and not go to school like normal. King Regis had arranged for a private tutor to come and ensure that Noctis would stay on top of his schoolwork, and all of Noctis' activities had been cancelled, including his combat training with Gladiolus. Thus, Noctis was bound to the study with a man named Cato, who was more boring to listen to, than his teachers in school.

"Prince Noctis, are you still with me?" Cato asked. He was a middle-aged man, who looked older than he was. He was wearing old clothes, which were a couple sizes too big for him. His hair was dark and uncombed, and he had stubble that was several days old. In every way, he was a very unkempt man. And he smelled that way as well. He was a scholar at the University of Insomnia, with a degree in history, thus he had come to aid Noctis in his studies of the ancient history of Eos.

"Yeah, sorry," Noctis said and looked down at the scribbles he had made on his notepaper. Cato was lecturing Noctis about the first civilization of Eos, and he had quickly lost all interest in what Cato was saying.

"Where was I? So, following the Creation, the Astrals remained to watch over Eos, to protect their creation. It was peaceful for many years, until a meteorite fell to Eos, during the Age of the Gods," Cato spoke, and Noctis was starting to lose his interest again, but, getting a grip of himself, reminded that he would not be relieved from his grounding until he had taken more responsibility and finished his assignment, he started to focus on every single word that Cato spoke.

"According to legend, the strongest of the Astrals, the Archaean, Titan, caught the meteorite just prior to its impact with Eos, relieving the planet from most of the destruction it would otherwise have suffered. As you may know, it is said that the Titan still holds the meteor in his slumber, at the Disc of Cauthess in Duscae." Noctis pondered these words for a moment, until he realised he had a question.

"How come the Astrals are asleep?" Noctis said as he wrote down his question on the paper, ready to write down the response.

"Well, following the Creation, all was peaceful in Eos. The first civilisation, Solheim, was created, and observed by the Infernian, Ifrit, who had granted the people of Solheim the ways of fire. This led the civilisation to become incredibly advanced, and within a short span of time, its citizens realised, that their need for their Gods was reduced, as they became more technologically advanced.

Within a short while, the citizens of Solheim started to rebel against The Six, as they saw themselves now superior to the Gods, and no longer found a need for their blessings. Now, as you may know, Ifrit is the least patient of all the Astrals, so while the other Astrals saw no harm in the citizens of Solheim moving along a less Astral-dependent path of life, Ifrit, who had enjoyed the love and status he had previously received, turned on Solheim.

The Astrals have always been keen on keeping peace in Eos, and they would take whatever measure required, to maintain it, even if it meant a war against another Astral. Thus, the Great War of Old, or as some people call it, the Astral War, began, between the citizens of Solheim and Ifrit, and the remaining Astrals, on the side of Solheim, in an attempt at quelling Ifrit's wrath, and to prevent mankind from being consumed in fire.

As a result of the war, Ifrit died to the Draconian, Bahamut, as the two went head-to-head. He was then buried at the Rock of Ravatogh. Exhausted from the war, the Astrals went to sleep, where they to this day are still waiting for The Chosen King's Ascension. Solheim disintegrated, and for many years, mankind lived, once again in peace, until the four Kingdoms of Eos were created some two-thousand years ago, the first being the Kingdom of Lucis. The others were Accordo, Niflheim and Tenebrae."

Noctis kept writing key points down in his notes, so he could use them for his assignment. Cato looked at Noctis' hard work and smiled.

"Maybe it's time for a small break?" He asked. Noctis nodded as he put his last period on the paper, and started to close his notebook. Cato stood up and looked around in the small study, which had the walls covered with books, some several hundred years old. He then bowed for the Prince and left the room, supposedly to go for his fifth cup of tea. Noctis leaned back in his chair and looked out of the window, towards the sunny sky.

The door behind Noctis opened again, but it was not Cato who had returned. It was Gladiolus; for once, he was smiling at Noctis.

"Homework?" Gladiolus asked. Noctis looked down at the books on the table.

"It's a project I'm doing with my tutor," Noctis responded as he reopened the notebooks, attempting to look as though he was busy. However, Gladiolus knew he was not doing much, and he chuckled to himself. "I have to do it because I'm grounded…" Noctis mumbled. Gladiolus took a few steps into the study.

"What?" Noctis asked, seeing that it was odd that his combat trainer was suddenly hesitating to speak to him. Usually, he would be responding rapidly, however, Iris' words the night before had made Gladiolus reconsider his behaviour towards Noctis.

"Even… Even if you're grounded, you can still come train a bit with me, yeah?" Gladiolus asked as he scratched his hair. Noctis looked down at his notebooks, considering if he should. He did find that it would be nice with a break from history. He scribbled a quick note for his tutor.

 _I have some business to attend to. It won't be long.  
\- Noctis_

Noctis stood up from his chair and walked behind Gladiolus towards the training hall. They were both silent during the walk there, however, Noctis could tell something had changed.

When they started training, Gladiolus seemed to go a bit easier at Noctis, giving him a bit of a chance. However, still being far superior to Noctis in terms of combat skills, Gladiolus still gave him a fair beating, like usual.

"Come on! You can do better than that," Gladiolus said, this time in a more encouraging tone, rather than scolding. Confused by this sudden change of tone, Noctis stood still for a moment, looking at Gladiolus, who noticed. He lowered his wooden sword and considered Noctis.

"You know… I meant to thank you, for what you did yesterday," Gladiolus started. Noctis quickly looked away.

"I don't know what you're talking about…" Noctis said and scratched his hair.

"Iris told me the whole story," Gladiolus said and sat down on the floor. Noctis followed along and the two were now seated in front of each other. It was only now that Noctis looked properly in Gladiolus' face. It was quite refined, yet a couple small wounds were scattered around his face, presumably acquired during his Crownsguard training. His hair was short, although shortest in the sides, and a bit longer at the top of his head. His eyes were dark brown, like Iris' eyes, but his hair was pitch-black. Despite his young age, it was clear that he was already well-trained, his muscles showing underneath his uniform.

"Oh," Noctis said, unsure of what to say. Gladiolus smiled at Noctis.

"Thank you, for covering for her. That was brave, something which I admire," Gladiolus said. It made Noctis feel a bit uneasy. He was not sure, if he preferred the nice or touch Gladiolus. "But it doesn't mean that I'll go easy on you. We need to train hard. You have a lot to learn, before you become King."

Noctis considered it for a moment. Deep inside, Noctis knew that his training was not just because of the events two years ago, but also because as King, he would need to be able to fight. Previously, it had always felt so distant, the prospect of him one day becoming King. However, knowing that the older he got, the closer he would be to taking over the throne. The thought made his heart feel heavy.

"Well, shall we continue?" Gladiolus put a hand on Noctis' shoulder and looked down at him. Noctis nodded, and grabbed the sword. Now, filled with more faith in himself, Noctis gave a bit more energy into his training, and it paid off. Despite not being able to hit Gladiolus just yet, his reflexes were simply too fast for Noctis, he managed to dodge a couple of Gladiolus' attacks, something which both surprised and pleased both of them.

It was only when the setting sun's rays of light entered the windows high on the walls, that Noctis and Gladiolus finished their training session. Noctis had completely forgotten about his assignment and the tutor. Noctis rushed out of the door, after having said goodbye to Gladiolus, and rushed towards the study. There, the tutor was waiting, and next to him, was King Regis. The two of them did not look pleased.

"Where have you been?" Regis asked the panting Noctis as he entered through the door. Noctis looked down at Regis' hand and saw that he held his note in his hand.

"Gladiolus requested that I did some training with him," Noctis said quietly. Only then did he notice, that Cato was sitting with his notebook in his hand. Noctis was close to saying something about it, but realised he was in no position to. He felt uneasy about the idea of the two of them having looked through Noctis' notebook, seeing that those were his notes.

"Well, considering the amount of effort you have put into your studies today, I've reconsidered your house arrest," Regis began. Noctis looked up at his father. Now, having caught his breath, Noctis could feel his heart racing once again, only this time, it was from happiness.

"Really?!" Noctis said, in a voice a bit more excited than he wanted it to be. Regis nodded.

"Yes. I have decided to let you return to school, and restart training with Gladiolus. I… Was a bit too harsh on you yesterday. You are only a child, and it was foolish of me to punish you for being so." Regis went over and put a hand on his son's shoulder. It was the first time he had touched his son in months, and, once again, he felt like the gap between himself and his son had shrunk. Even if just a small bit.


End file.
